Envoy
by Maria65
Summary: Terra is in danger, and one girl with a forgotten past is the only one who can stop it. What happens when Maria learns who she truly is, and realize's that she is Terra's sole savior. Image and Akane belong to taffybratz, but I have permission to use them; Abaddon to Squid God Zwifel; all normal characters to Aeria Games, Rated T for blood and language. (Being Revamped)
1. Envoy's Beginning

**Okay, so I know you all have already read Envoy and everything and are probably wondering why it looks different...the reason for that being...I'm revamping Aura Kingdom, changing the chapter's and overall making it look more professional. I reread it a few month's ago and was cringing at the way it looked, so I'm revamping my, what was truthfully a three year project, and making it look better. ^^**

 **Well, I hope you all like the renewed story, nothing was REALLY changed but some things have been added and I hope everyone likes it even more. ^^ Enjoy! Miss Maria, you know what to do.**

 **Maria: "Right, Maria65 does not own Aura Kingdom, or any of it's character's. You'll know who we mean if you've seen the game. Enjoy everyone!"**

 **[~~~~~*~~~~~]**

It was snowing outside the small, metal building of what looked to be an abandoned warehouse, but was much more than it seemed. Inside were a bunch of researcher's, and test tubes, computers littered the room as did cords and wires. Behind that room, separated by a sound proof wall, were what looked to be people training, their noises muffled to not disturb the researcher's, and behind that room was a medical room, a bunch of people littered the beds in there, and some were just leaving after being looked over.

Suddenly, another stretcher came rushing in and went to the ER. A black haired girl was placed on the table, a breathing mask over her face that showed pain; scars covered her body. "Damn, the only one we perfected and she's about to die on us!" One guy shouted and typed into a computer, bringing up her file and what they needed to do to save her. Another man turned toward her after grabbing a few items. "Quickly, start the blood transaction." He said to a nurse, who nodded before he turned toward another doctor. "You, get an IV!" He said and the doctor nodded, running off to grab the necessary items.

He heard the girl whimper and turned toward her, blue eyes softening. "Calm down girl, we're helping you." The man said to the girl, holding her hand tightly as she squeezed his. The girl couldn't speak, focusing on keeping the pain at bay. The girl whimpered as the pain soon overcame her mind…when suddenly…she heard someone. _**"Let me help you."**_ A calming voice, that belonging to a young girl, spoke. The girl stopped whimpering as a soothing feeling overcame her body as she glowed blue. The medic's gasped as her scars disappeared, as the glow brightened a bit more...then she opened her eyes that glowed blue before turning gold.

The light left, leaving her body new and she groaned as she sat up, before a nurse left to grab some covers when she shivered. She looked up and they were surprised that her eyes were gold instead of blue like they had originally been. "A side effect of being an experiment?" A nurse questioned the main doctor, and he nodded. "Yes, but it can't be helped." He said with a sigh as the nurse who left returned, putting the covers around the girl. "After all, she's the only perfect one, most likely to live the life-span of a human." He said, his voice suddenly getting excited.

"At least this is the breakthrough we needed! We don't need to have a wife or husband to have children, we make people!" The doctor said, his excitement noticeable before he left, most likely to get the director. The nurse who placed the covers around the girl watched him, before she hummed. "Can she speak?" The nurse asked, walking toward her; looking at the black haired girl with purple eyes. The black haired girl looked up, seeing blonde hair before her and she cocked her head a bit, confused. "I don't know…let's try this though." A doctor, one with dark blue hair stated; giving the girl pen and paper.

The girl looked at the paper attached to the clipboard, before she tried to hold the pen. It took a few seconds but she eventually held it the way she felt comfortable and looked at the paper, confused of what to do. This confused the nurse. "Maybe she doesn't know what to do?" She suggested and the blue haired doctor hummed, crossing his arms...that wasn't the reaction they expected. "Kind of like a newborn child, so we're going to have to teach her stuff." The nurse said and was about to take it away, when suddenly she felt the point of the pen touch her skin; pushing down hard to give a warning.

They all looked at the girl only to see her trying to glare at the woman and the girl shook her head, saying no. The woman retracted her hand slowly and watched the girl as she began to write. "This is amazing, she does know how to write. But…why can't she speak?" The blonde haired nurse questioned, rubbing her hand. The girl stopped writing as she looked it over, before nodding and handed it to the doctor who took it and looked it over, before he chuckled. "Well, maybe her vocal-cords aren't developed enough, we did just finish her after all and she is the perfected one." The doctor said and read the paper, yet the nurse was unconvinced.

"But still, even the unperfected ones can talk and all but her…" The nurse trailed off seeing all the questions written down on the paper, there were ten to be exact, each numbered. She looked to the blue haired doctor when she noticed his shoulders shaking. "Well, at least she knows numbers." The doctor said chuckling. An hour passed before the Director walked in, the black haired girl looked at him as the others bowed. "So, she's awake." He said simply, before looking to the blue haired doctor. "You, go alert the tailor's to get an outfit ready for her." The Director said and the doctor he spoke to nodded, leaving to do as asked.

The Director looked at the girl, before folding his arms. "Do you know your name?" He asked with a gentle tone, the girl went to speak but nothing left her mouth. Frowning in confusion, the girl tried again and seemed upset when nothing worked. "Hm, she can't speak?" The Director questioned, before the girl punched her knee. Her voice was hoarse but when she spoke, she shocked them. "What's my name?!" The girl suddenly demanded, glaring at those around her. She cupped her throat afterwards, shocked at the burn that affected her and the Director noticed. "Her voice is hoarse, give her some water." The Director said and the blonde nurse nodded, grabbed a small cup and filled it with water, before handing it to the girl.

The girl seemed grateful and drank the cup, she sighed as the water soothed her throat; her expression softening. "Your name is Ex-Sixty Five, as you are the sixty-fifth experiment, and-!" The Director was cut off as she snapped her head toward him, confusing on her face. "Sir, if I'm human…then why are you saying something about experiments?" The girl asked, shocking him with her intelligence. The blonde nurse shifted side-to-side, nervous. "That is true sir." She spoke softly, grabbing a clipboard. "If we make them, shouldn't we at least give them name's?" The blonde nurse asked, looking at the girl softly.

The Director hummed, she had a point that was certain. It was awhile before she was named Maria, after the Director's second daughter who passed away a year ago due to sickness. After the Director left, the blonde nurse walked toward Maria-Sixty Five who looked up at her. The nurse raised the covers, keeping them over her shoulders a little. "You need to get some sleep, so lay back down." The nurse said, and Maria-Sixty Five nodded, laying down, falling asleep.

 **Ten years later:** The black haired girl, Maria-Sixty Five, sighed as she sat down in a chair, watching the others train. Her gold eyes scanned the training arena, watching various different experiments training in their own class. Gunner, Grenadier, Duelist which is what she was, Bard, Sorcerer, Ravager, Guardian, Wizard, Ranger, Brawler, Ronin, Crusader, Shinobi and Reaper; each was unique. The Gunner's used dual-pistols but Maria-Sixty Five didn't like guns, they were too loud; holding one made her feel horrible as well as she saw what a bullet could do. Grenadier, she couldn't get the canon to work so that was a no-go in her list. The Grenadier was too heavy also, she had trouble lifting the canon and when she did shot it, it blew her back.

Duelist was her class, using twin blades and she loved the way they feel. The swords were slim and easy to use, she was used to being fast and that's exactly what the blades required of her. Guardian's used one-handed swords and shields but she didn't like the simply sword, she also didn't feel like carrying a shield everywhere. Ravager's were scary to her, using giant axes and she always screamed whenever one brought a new axe back, those things were huge!

Bard's were…different she guessed; using musical instruments to attack people but they all knew healing spells and Maria-Sixty Five, herself, had been healed multiple times by them. Sorcerers and Wizards were very similar in her eyes, except one used books and the other staff's. The only difference was Sorcerer's delved into dark magic, while the wizards used elements.

Rangers were bow users, not able to wield a gun as they didn't like them and the canons were too heavy! She didn't like the fact that a ranger had to always buy new arrows. The thought annoyed her. Then there were the Brawler's, a class that used claws as their weapons and they were quick and light on their feet, like the duelist. Then there was the Ronin's, they was quick and fast, very similar to Duelist's but they were more sturdy, they weren't stronger, relying on a thin katana.

Crusader's reminded her of the Guardian and Ravager, combined! A sword but they were as long and as big as an axe; she often heard them called Holy Swords. She wasn't surprised though, whenever they trained she could've sworn she saw angelic wings appear at their back. Shinobi were ninja's...that's all there was to it. They used Kunai's and Shuriken's, whenever the attacked an odd shadow would follow them before another ninja seemed to help them.

Last but not least were the Reaper's, who used scythe's and were able to summon demons. For some unknown reason she found herself scared of them, though she didn't know why, the Reaper's were actually nice people...despite the small demon's she saw them summon. Whenever they did that, she felt her body convulse and she would turn and run away...she had the urge to attack the Reaper's and she didn't want to do that in fear of being destroyed.

Sighing, Maria-Sixty Five sunk into her chair a bit more, bored out of her mind. Looking behind her, she saw what looked to be other experiments in class and she snickered softly; she had passed with flying colors, yet it seemed some were still in there. "Hey, Maria-Sixty Five!" A girl's voice shouted, making Maria-Sixty Five jump. "Huh, Maki-Ninety Nine?" Maria-Sixty Five questioned as the pink haired girl ran toward her. Maki-Ninety Nine had short pink hair to her shoulders, in a bobbed style, with bright green eyes; she smiled mischievously at Maria-Sixty Five.

She had a pair of claws on her gauntlets, which she sheathed as she fixed the strapping's on them; she was a brawler. Maki-Ninety Nine giggled as she finally fixed the strapping, looking at Maria-Sixty Five. "Hey, I was looking for you." She stated and Maria-Sixty Five cocked an eyebrow, confused. "Why?" She questioned, sitting up straight. "You know I'm usually always here." Maria-Sixty Five said to Maki-Ninety Nine. Maki-Ninety Nine was made way after Maria-Sixty Five, yet she seemed older as she looked to be eighteen, while Maria-Sixty Five was fifteen years old, literally.

The unperfected experiments had no real age to be determined, while Maria-Sixty Five, being a perfected experiment actually had an age. She was five years old when she was taken out of the test-tube and had looked to be five years old, on the brink of death as her tube shattered due to too much energy in it. Maria-Sixty Five sighed at Maki-Ninety Nine as the girl sat beside her, before a voice spoke in her head. _**"Are you alright?"**_ A voice asked but Maria-Sixty Five ignored it, pushing it to the back of her mind. She had constantly heard a voice since the day she was created and she believed it was a side effect to being an experiment, so she ignored it.

Though the voice was consistent, Maria-Sixty Five usually had her mind on other things and right now they were focused on why Maki-Ninety Nine was looking for her as the brawler never explained why she was looking for her. "Hey Maki-Ninety Nine, why were you looking for me exactly?" Maria-Sixty Five questioned Maki-Ninety Nine, who jumped. "Oh, that's right!" She exclaimed, jumping up and turning toward Maria, smiling. "The Director is looking for you, said something about another mission for us to go on." Maki-Ninety Nine explained to Maria-Sixty Five, who sighed and stood, Maki-Ninety Nine standing with her and following her.

 **Later:** Maria-Sixty Five growled as she walked through dense vegetation with Maki-Ninety Nine following as well; growling as she got some of her claws stuck in the plants. She was keeping her claws unsheathed as they walked through the area, having been attacked by various beasts. They had been given a mission to defeat a monster that had demonic powers of ice, causing the environment to change. Maria-Sixty Five stepped on something cold and slick and screamed in surprise as she slipped, falling down on her back. "Ow…" Maria-Sixty Five groaned, trailing off as she sat up, rubbing her back slightly. "Maria-Sixty Five, are you okay?" Maki-Ninety Nine asked as she walked toward Maria-Sixty Five quickly and helped her up, having heard her scream in surprise.

Maria-Sixty Five nodded, being careful as she stood. "Y-yeah. Why would someone leaving ice here?" Maria-Sixty Five said, before looking forward and her jaw dropped as she saw nothing but ice covering the rest of the path they were walking. Despite the beauty of the ice clinging to everything and making it all sparkle, it still annoyed her because that meant the path was going to be a bit harder. "Looks like we got a slippery journey ahead of us." Maki-Ninety Nine said, growling in anger. "Yeah, no kidding." Maria-Sixty Five said, sighing as she walked ahead, Maki-Ninety Nine following behind slowly as to not slip.


	2. Meeting the Eidolon

It was night as they had travelled, finally arriving at their destination...but what they had encountered hadn't been what they expected. Maria-Sixty Five screamed as she hit an ice pillar, growling as she tried to stand, electricity surrounding her body as her arms were dented. Even if she was seen as a human, she still had robotic arms and legs, covered by skin; unlike her torso which was completely human. Maki-Ninety Nine fell down beside her, blood leaking from her stomach. "Oh no, Maki-Ninety Nine!" Maria-Sixty Five shouted and held Maki-Ninety Nine as she bleed, who smiled sadly and weakly at Maria-Sixty Five as electricity surrounded her body as well, merging with the sparks that came from Maria-Sixty Five.

"S-sorry Maria-Sixty Five…b-but it seems l-l-like I'm n-not…fixable…" Maki-Ninety Nine trailed off, giving a bloody smile, making Maria-Sixty Five's panic rise. "No Maki-Ninety Nine, that's not true. I'll get you out of here." Maria-Sixty Five said but screamed as the beast; looking to be a dragon, hit Maria-Sixty Five in the back with its tail but she didn't budge. Maki-Ninety Nine coughed a little, blood specking her lips and Maria-Sixty Five's arms where she was held. "That's…not true, a-and y-you know it." Maki-Ninety Nine said, closing her eyes, taking a lungful of air to keep talking.

"R-run Maria-Sixty Five. I'm b-breaking d-down anyways." Maki-Ninety Nine said, the life was slowly leaving her eyes. Maria-Sixty Five jerked her head back in shock and confusion. "W-what do you mean?" Maria-Sixty Five sobbed out, tears leaking from her eyes. Maki-Ninety Nine looked at her, eyes dull. "I'm imperfect Maria-Sixty Five. I-I was dying anyways." Maki-Ninety Nine said, stopping an attack from the beast by throwing her claws at it, the claws hit one of its eyes, momentarily blinding it as it roared in pain.

She smiled weakly, body shaking as the electricity began to die down and her eyelids dropped a little. "Go, go…now is you're…" Maki-Ninety Nine trailed off, going limp in Maria-Sixty Fives' arms. Maria-Sixty Five went still, eyes wide as she looked at her best friend. "Maki-Ninety Nine?" Maria-Sixty Five questioned, gently shaking her. "Maki-Ninety Nine, come on, t-this isn't funny." Maria-Sixty Five said, hoping to get a response, yet she got none and she knew...at that moment...her best friend was gone. "No…Maki-Ninety Nine." She whimpered out, before hugging her tightly. "MAKI!" Maria-Sixty Five screamed in agony and sadness, sobbing over the death of her friends.

She heard the dragon continue to roar in pain and knew what she must do. Sniffling, she laid Maki-Ninety Nine down, before standing. Maria-Sixty Five wanted to cry more, mourn her friend but instead took a deep breath to calm herself down, knowing her mission still had to be completed; rather or not she died in the process. She looked at Maki-Ninety Nine, determination set in her eyes. "Don't you worry; I'll take care of this beast." Maria-Sixty Five said and looked at the dragon as it got the claws out of its eye, before turning toward her and roaring a challenge.

Maria-Sixty Five narrowed her golden eyes at the beast, feeling anger boil inside her. "You…you'll pay for what you did to Maki!" Maria-Sixty Five shouted and charged the beast, who roared at her and charged her as well. Maria-Sixty Five jumped before the dragon could hit her with its tail and slashed at it with both swords, yet it blew a fireball at her, hitting her and making her hit a pillar of ice and she fell down. She stood but suddenly her eyes grew wide, her pupils shrinking as electricity shot out from her arm, making her scream and hold it as it seemed to burn.

She looked up, and noticed the dragon was forming another fireball; she cursed as she tried to move but her body wouldn't obey. _'This is it. I've nowhere to go.'_ Maria-Sixty Five thought, as the fireball was shot at her. "I don't think so!" A young female's voice shouted. Suddenly a wall of ice formed in front of Maria-Sixty Five, resulting in the fire ball hitting it instead, yet the ice didn't melt, which shocked Maria-Sixty Five. Maria-Sixty Five gasped as the wall of ice disappeared and a girl was standing before Maria-Sixty Five, a protective glint in her eyes. "Sorry I'm late!" The girl shouted, shooting a ball of ice at the dragon.

The little girl had pink hair in pigtails with a white, gold, neon pink helmet and pointy ears. The helmet only covered the front and went over the sides of her head; gold trimming on the bottom, with neon pink on top. She wore what looked like a magical girl outfit that was pink, purple and white; she had unattached sleeves and spinning bracelets at the top of those sleeves.

She wielded a staff that was gold in color, with a white cylinder near the top; an S-shaped top that glowed gold and ice-blue. She swung her staff at the dragon and a blast of icicles went hurtling toward the dragon, making it roar in pain as the icicle's cut his skin. The girl slammed her staff into the ground and icicles rose from the ground, stabbing into the dragon even as it melted the ice to protect itself. When the sign on her staff began glowing brighter, the dragon took off, having enough.

The girl scoffed, before her staff disappeared. "That ought to teach it a lesson." She said, before turning to look at Maria-Sixty Five. "Hey, are you okay?" She asked, floating toward Maria-Sixty Five, who winced in pain and placed a hand on her shoulder, feeling it dislocated. The girl hummed in worry and placed her hands on the shoulder; Maria-Sixty Five felt it pop back into place, with no pain. "W-what did you do?" She asked the floating girl, who giggled. "I moved your arm back into place silly. What else?" The girl joked and sat on the ground, on her knees.

"Anyways, let me introduce myself." The girl said, before laying a hand over her heart in some type of greeting. "My name is Sachi, I'm an ice sylph." The girl, known as Sachi, stated. "Sachi?" Maria-Sixty Five questioned, one eyebrow raised in curiosity. "Yep, that's my name." Sachi piped, smiling brightly at Maria-Sixty Five. Maria-Sixty Five smiled, she seemed nice enough; she tried to stand but her body wouldn't respond. Growling, Maria-Sixty Five looked at her legs only to see them dented as well, and sighed sadly. What luck…!

"Hm…seems as though your legs aren't doing well either." Sachi stated and placed her hands on both legs; a pink light enveloped them as well and they were repaired. "Are your legs robotic?" Sachi asked her and Maria-Sixty Five looked at her, before nodding. Sachi suddenly noticed that Maria-Sixty Five's golden eyes seemed unfocused and she slowly stood. "I must go now. My mission is complete." Maria-Sixty Five said in a monotonous voice and Sachi gasped, she was being controlled!

Sachi shot forth at her and placed both hands on Maria-Sixty Five's forehead, pink eyes harsh. "Whatever is controlling you, let it be released!" Sachi commanded and suddenly Maria-Sixty Five's eyes glowed as did Sachi's eyes A bright, blue light shot forth from Maria-Sixty Five's body and when the light subsided, Maria-Sixty Five swayed and fell to her knees, groaning. "Ugh…what happened?" Maria-Sixty Five questioned, and Sachi knelt beside her. She looked at Maria-Sixty Five in worry, yet noticed no damage. "Are you okay?" Sachi asked Maria-Sixty Five, who nodded. "Y-yeah." Maria-Sixty Five responded and stood; Sachi helping her.

"You know, I never got your name." Sachi said, and Maria-Sixty Five looked at her, before sighing. "My name is Maria, Maria-Sixty Five; the sixty-fifth experiment and only perfected one." Maria-Sixty Five explained and Sachi's eyes widened in horror. "You wouldn't happen to be from the Biological Androids Team…would you?" Sachi questioned, worried and Maria sighed. "Well…I was one of their experiments." Maria-Sixty Five stated and Sachi groaned, rubbing her head. "I had hoped you weren't." She said, worrying Maria-Sixty Five. "The Biological Androids Team, also known as B.A.T, don't make biological Androids." She said and Maria-Sixty Five felt herself tense. "Do you want to know what they really do, Maria?" Sachi questioned and Maria-Sixty Five sighed; she had a feeling she didn't want to know...but she nodded in the end.

Sachi sighed, rubbing her wrists. "B.A.T use actual humans of different ages for their experiments, even those that have passed. The only things they've been able to do is make artificial souls but they use them for their own good." She said, her pink eyes showing sadness. "There have been problems with B.A.T's experiments. Most of them are robots, not real humans but when they do use a human's body, they have to replace certain parts for them to function properly. Despite having figured how to create artificial souls, they still needed a vessel for them to use, so they use humans or build robots." Sachi explained, before her eyes became filled with unfathomable sorrow.

"For you though, you seem to have been originally a human. But, your arms and legs were beyond repair when they obtained your body." Sachi stated, and Maria-Sixty Five's eyes widened in horror. "You mean to say…I'm already dead?" Maria-Sixty Five questioned, looking at her hands. Sachi shook her head though, showing Maria-Sixty Five was wrong. "Not really. You were on the verge of death when they got your body but they were able to save you before you completely passed into the void of death. But, they replaced your arms and legs so you could live on but...they did something to your mind, something that would allow them to control you." Sachi said, and Maria-Sixty Five looked at her confused.

"So, what did you do then?" Maria-Sixty Five asked Sachi, who smiled. "I practically freed your mind." Sachi stated and Maria-Sixty Five sighed and rubbed her shoulders. "Then I know what I need to do." Maria-Sixty Five said, and grabbed her dual-swords; she couldn't go back there with her mind freed and having her own will. There was a reason the dead was to be laid to rest and she would put an end to what they were doing. "Maria, can I go with you?" Sachi questioned quickly and Maria-Sixty Five looked at her, confused and shocked. "D-did you just call me Maria, without the Sixty-Five?" Maria-Sixty Five questioned and Sachi nodded.

"Yes, originally you were called Maria, even without being named after the Director's daughter but they added sixty-five to the end of your name because you were an experiment. I like calling you Maria, instead of Maria-Sixty Five." Sachi said and Maria-Sixty Five, Maria, nodded. "I see. And yes, you can come with me. Besides, you freed my mind but first…" Maria trailed off as she looked over to a certain brawler. "I need to do something for Maki." Maria stated, walking over to her friend, Sachi following.

 **Three Days Later:** Maria and Sachi ran out of the building watching as it exploded and flames burned. Maria had destroyed the building, killing all the scientists as they had decided to get rid of the experiments, seeing no need for them, so Maria stopped them…killing them. Sachi floated up beside Maria, watching it burn with her. "Well, there's one horror story that ended." Sachi stated and Maria nodded. "Yeah, and now…I have something I need to do." Maria said softly, looking at a heart-shaped necklace she held.

Sachi noticed and looked at the necklace as well. "What is that?" Sachi asked but Maria shrugged, she wasn't sure of the meaning behind the necklace. "One of the scientists, a blonde, gave it to me when I awoke. She said it was from my family…I need to find them. I need to find out where I originally came from, my hometown." Maria said and then Sachi tapped her shoulder, catching Maria's attention. "I want to keep helping you. Besides, something drew me to you." Sachi said, and this caught Maria's interest.

"Drew you to me? What was it?" Maria asked Sachi, interested. "You have a lot of spiritual power inside of you, a familiar power. Only those from my world, Gaia, have as high a spiritual power that you have." Sachi explained, before bringing a hand to her chin in thought. "Maybe…you're connected to my world somehow?" Sachi suggested and though Maria seemed shocked, smiled at Sachi. "If I am, we'll find out through my heritage. I need to search my past." Maria said, and left, Sachi following her.


	3. The Start of a New Life

It had been five years since Maria and Sachi had destroyed Maria's horror story, they had travelled to regain her memories of her past, though have had no such luck. Maria and Sachi moved from place to place, though there was a place Maria and Sachi lived at called Port Skandia but an incident happened that made them leave. Though the Mayor of Port Skandia told them they were always welcomed as Port Skandia was there home, they often sent letters to Skandia to see how everyone was doing.

Currently Maria and Sachi wandered through the city of Navea, a wonderful city full of shops, Guilds, Schools and Research Facilities. They had meet the Grand Bishop there called Grand Bishop Belenus, who seemed to like them as he was always kind to them. They had even made friends with some of the Templar's in Navea, especially a redhead who guarded the perimeter of the city with a few others. Sachi was walking beside Maria, content being beside her Envoy; at least that's what she began calling Maria recently.

Though Maria said she had sixty-five in her name, Sachi deemed it unwise to say it in public, seeing it as a possible problem. Maria stopped at a Bulletin Board and sighed in relief, she finally found it. Though she had to been to Navea a lot, staying at an Inn most of the time, she still had trouble finding the Quest Board. "Hm, the Board is nearly empty today." Sachi stated and Maria nodded, annoyed to see it slightly empty.

Elsewhere in Navea, a boy with black hair and a girl with black haired sighed as they wandered through the city of Navea, hoping they could find the Quest Board. "Where is it Darius?" The girl questioned the older boy, Darius, who sighed. Darius had very slightly spiked hair, bright blue eyes; wearing black leather with white, red and gold armor over it. The white armor had no sleeves, allowing the black leather underneath to be seen but only one arm was covered.

He had a white, spiked shoulder guard on his left shoulder, with red arm guards that were trimmed gold. His pants were white as well, with a belt that had thick leather attached to it, trailing down the sides and connected to the boots that were black, gold, red and white. The top of the boots were black but once it hit the knee, it was red that slowly faded to white, all of it trimmed gold. He held a white and blue cannon attached to his arm that he soon slide out of the cannon to place it on his back. "No idea, Lilliana. Let's keep looking." Darius said to the girl, obviously his sister, Lilliana, who nodded and continued to follow him.

Lilliana was very much like him, with short black hair and bright blue eyes. She wore a dark green vest over a yellow blouse with a white skirt. She had a yellow belt around her waist with a ruby in the center. The sleeves attached to the blouse were white, trimmed gold and she wore black gloves. She had long black stockings stopping an inch above her knee, trimmed gold that were wing shaped. Her shoes were long, stopping at her knee and they were white in color, with gold trimming and a sapphire at the top center, with wings at the sides. The bow she had was jade and silver, with a black rubber center for her to hold. She had a quiver over her back, overflowing with arrows.

They saw the quest board and ran toward it, before seeing a girl looking at it, with a pink, twin tailed girl standing beside her. Darius stopped automatically when he saw her, his eyes wide. 'Whoa…who is she?' Darius thought, blue eyes showing interest. The girl seemed to notice someone was staring at her, as she turned, their eyes locking. Gold clashing with blue, staring at one another. "Maria, is everything okay?" The pink girl, obviously Sachi, questioned her Envoy, tugging her sleeve.

She had decided to try walking when in big cities as too not attract so much attention to them. Maria seemed to come back to reality as she looked at Sachi, the trance broken. "Hm, oh, I'm okay Sachi, don't worry." Maria said, smiling at Sachi softly. "Darius, come on!" Lilliana shouted to him, causing Maria to jump, where did this girl come from? "Huh, oh sorry sis!" Darius said, running toward her, being careful to not hit Maria. Maria sighed, rubbed her temples and reached for a request, her hand meeting with someone else's.

"Huh?" She questioned with someone else and looked; only to see it was the boy Darius, they had reached for the same request. "Darius, what're you-oh!" Lilliana went silent at seeing Maria. "S-sorry. Y-you can take it." Maria said, backing up but Darius remained still, watching her. _'What is it about her that has affected me so?'_ Darius wondered, before rubbing his head. "Darius…should we ask for her help?" Lilliana said, grabbing the request. "Huh, why?" He asked, confused. "It says a group of three or four is needed. It's a long request, saying many men have gone missing from a village." Lilliana said to Darius, showing him the request.

"W-well, I guess we could." Darius said, blushing. He was never good at talking to people, especially people he's never meet before. Looking at Maria, he noticed she was still standing there, kicking the ground, looking straight at her feet as though embarrassed. Darius gulped, he had no idea how to ask her to help them with this request. "Here, I'll do it." Lilliana said, grabbing the paper, growling; despite being sixteen, she had no trouble with speaking to strangers. "Excuse me?" Lilliana questioned Maria softly with a smile and Maria looked at Lilliana, confused; was there something she could do for them?

"You wanna help us with this request?" She asked, holding the paper up. "You were reaching for it as well and it says three or four people are needed for the quest." Lilliana said, handing Maria the paper. Maria grabbed it and read through it, noticing that it needed as many people as Lilliana stated; Sachi climbed on Maria's back to look at the paper as well. "Indeed. Maria, should we help?" Sachi questioned, looking at Maria hopefully. She wanted Maria to meet others, get to know people and make friends. But with how shy Maria was and the village she lived at for two years, being neglected by the people there; Maria had closed herself off, only being open and being her true self around Sachi.

Maria sighed and rubbed her forehead, not sure what to do. She wanted to help but at the same time…she wasn't sure if she should help the two before her. She'd had bad experiences in the past with people, having been used a year ago by someone she considered a friend and now, she wasn't exactly ready to open up again. _**"Come on Maria, just do it!"**_ Sachi's voice persuaded in her mind. Ever since Maria meet Sachi and figured out the voice had come from Sachi, they've been able to talk telepathically. Maria sighed, looked at Lilliana, and nodded.

"Y-yeah, I'll help." Maria stuttered out shyly, scratching her cheek. Lilliana squealed in excitement and pulled Maria into a bear hug but leaned forward more, causing Maria to stumble to get her footing, Sachi laughing. Darius smiled at them and walked toward them as Lilliana let go, bouncing lightly on her heels. "Anyways, let's introduce ourselves. My name is Lilliana, this is my older brother." Lilliana said, looking at Darius. "My name is Darius. Pleasure to meet you." Darius said, holding a hand out to shake. Maria stiffened a little and looked at his hand. The last time she talked to a boy, about a year ago, he tore her apart.

Sighing, she hesitantly shook his hand. "Nice to m-meet you, Darius a-and Lilliana. My name is Maria." Maria stated, resisting the urge to add the sixty-five at the end of her name. For most of her life, she had always added sixty-five to the end of her name but after meeting Sachi, she was trying to get into the habit of not saying it. Lilliana grinned at her and Darius gave her a small, comforting smile. This made Maria smile back softly, before Darius soon spoke again. "Alright, I'm gonna look for Mirabelle and get some info about the quest." He said, before smiling at them both.

"Could you two go get us some items, and find an Inn. We'll get some sleep before we head out for the quest." Darius stated and Lilliana nodded, before latching onto Maria's arm. "Come on Maria, let's get some items." Lilliana said excited; it seemed she considered Maria a friend despite having just met her. "O-okay. WHOA!" Maria agreed, before letting out a yelp of surprise as Lilliana dragged her away, Sachi following slowly. "Don't be rough with her!" Darius called out, annoyed with a sigh. "I won't!" Lilliana called back, continuing to drag Maria away.

 **Later:** Maria sat in the room, alone with Sachi, who looked at Maria's pale face sadly. Maria had decided to get some rest while Lilliana went with her brother to get some food for tomorrow mornings journey. But Maria awoke with a start; sweating, pale and scared but Sachi hugged her. Maria had been waking up like this the past few days and it worried Sachi that nightmares were still haunting Maria. Nightmare's about a friend's betrayal and recently, nightmares about a pair bright blue eyes watching her, a voice saying: _**"I found you"**_. Maria didn't know what to do, she wanted the voice to stop but it sparked curiosity in her. She wanted to find the person with those glowing, slightly demonic eyes and see who was calling her.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, she heard the door open and saw Darius and Lilliana come in, each carrying a bag with Darius carrying two. "Geez, that place was packed!" Lilliana complained and sat down on her bed, as Darius handed Maria a bag. "Thought to get us all a bag, a lot cheaper and easier." Darius stated, before noticing her scared face as she took the bag from it, laying it down beside the bed she was on. "Hey, everything okay?" He asked, putting his own bag down and looking at her face. Maria nodded, taking another deep breath. "I'm o-okay. Just had a bad dream." Maria stated, looking away. "Wanna talk about it?" Darius asked, sitting on the bed but Maria shook her head.

"Nah, don't worry about it." Maria said, trying and failing to give a reassuring smile but Sachi sighed, looking at Maria seriously. "Maria, you're working with them on the request. Why not tell them what happened?" Sachi said, hoping Maria would open up. Maria gave Sachi a look to keep quiet but Sachi glared at her, causing Maria to flinch back a bit in surprise. Sachi had a tendency to get annoyed when Maria closed in on herself, and Sachi wanted her to open up again. Sighing, Maria looked at Darius and Lilliana before sighing.

"A-alright." Maria said as she rubbed her arms, sighing lightly. "Lately…I've been having a reoccurring nightmare. It's about a boy I considered a friend but he was just using me." Maria said softly, giving a sad sigh. "He had used me to get out of the village, see the world and steal my techniques. When I found out after he attacked me in the forest we were travelling, my heart was torn." Maria said on the verge of tears, the memory forever burned in her mind.

 _ **-Flashback- Maria screamed in pain as her back hit the muddy ground. Dirt and grass covering her bruised and scarred body as she look up, laying on her chest. Her dual swords lay before her hands as she looked at the boy she considered a friend, his dark blue hair wet from the rain and he smirked wickedly at her, his red eyes unforgiving and showing malice. "How pathetic! Did you really think I had wanted to be your friend, freak?" He questioned Maria, breaking her heart.**_

 _ **"Maria!" Sachi shouted appearing and hitting the boy away from Maria with an ice ball. "Curse you, you wretched girl!" The boy shouted, ignoring the ice on his arm; grabbing Sachi by her throat. "No, Sachi!" Maria shouted, struggling to stand, the grass slick. "Since I couldn't obtain an Eidolon, I'll just steal yours!" He shouted manically, eyes ill-intended and Maria struggled more to stand. Looking around, she braced her feet against one of the many trees in the forest, propelling herself off it, her duel-swords in hands and sliced the boy's arms, forcing him to release Sachi.**_

 _ **"Ah, dammit wench!" He shouted, bringing his own duel-swords out, glaring at her. "Leave Sachi alone!" Maria demanded, her duel-swords clashing his with own. "Don't order me around freak, I don't take orders!" The boy snarled at her, kicking her away, attacking relentlessly. -Flashback end-**_

"He made it hard for me to trust people again." Maria said, hugging herself. "T-that's why I'm so closed off…I don't want to be torn apart again. I…I don't want my heart breaking in two…like how he broke me." Maria said, tears coming. She placed a hand against one side of her face, trying to stop the tears from coming. Sachi's face was full of sorrow as she hugged Maria, hoping to calm her down. "The other nightmare…is of a pair of blue eyes." Maria said, shuddering a bit. Lilliana looked at her confused, blue eyes? "A pair of blue eyes?" She questioned, sitting across from her on the other bed; Maria nodded. "Yes. I don't know who they belong to, but whenever they appear in my mind, a voice speaks. A voice saying 'I found you' but I don't know who it is." Maria said, slowly calming down.

Darius hummed, crossing his arms. "That's why you're hesitant around us." Darius said, as though he finally understood. "Huh?" They all questioned as he sighed; he leaned against one of the wall in the room. "I noticed when we first meet you. You were very shy, almost hesitant to even speak. I know it's going to be hard, but…I want to assure you that you can trust us." Darius said, and held his hand out again. "I promise." Darius stated, smiling at her. Maria seemed shocked, before looking at his hand and taking a deep breath. Gathering her courage, she placed her hand in his and smiled, feeling the warmth and truth of his words flow into her. Lilliana smiled and tackled Maria into another hug, another yelp of surprise leaving Maria, causing Sachi and Darius to start laughing. Maria smiled though, laughing with them. After years of loneliness, heartache and pain, she was finally smiling and laughing again.

 **[~~~~~*~~~~~]**

 **Okay, so I will apologize as I just remembered...some of these chapters are short...like...really short. Some chapters may suddenly be deleted so I will apologize about that but it's only because the chapters have been edited. Once again, I hope you all continue to enjoy the story. ^^**

 **Maria: "...Your saying that a lot."**

 **Darius: "Truth"**

 **Me: "Shut up!"**


	4. Mission and Discovery

Maria looked over the corner, watching as robots patrolled the area. She had just passed the place where all the men were held, each in a cage. She knew that the only way to save them was to destroy the robots and find the leader with a key. One of the men had told her the goblins there were forcing them to make robots, if they didn't cooperate, they would be killed! Then she had been told that one of the robots had the key, and that he was with the goblin leader. Maria looked at Lilliana and Darius, both nodded to her before she ran up behind the robot and slashed at it, tearing the back open. Thrusting one of her hands in, she pulled all the cords out; deactivating it and destroying it.

Lilliana and Darius ran up behind her, before Darius rummage the robot, before sighing in disapproval. "No good, this one doesn't have the key." Darius stated, and Maria sighed, her arms feelings dented again, before Sachi healed it. "Alright then, let's keep going." Maria said and they began running deeper into the dungeon. As they passed a corner, Maria screamed as a laser hit her, slamming her against a wall with its force. "Maria!" Sachi, Darius and Lilliana shouted, running toward her. Groaning, Maria stood with Sachi helping her as Darius and Lilliana stood before her protectively. "You little pestering humans. You think we didn't notice you?!" A goblin shouted, waving his gun about angrily.

Maria snarled, before lunging, grabbing the goblin by its throat and lifting it, shocking her friend's. "Alright, so we understand you and you know we're here. Now, if you value your own pathetic life, I suggest you tell us which robot has the key!" Maria demanded, eyes threatening. "I heard the head leading robot walks around but is hard to distinguish from the normal robots." Maria said, before narrowing her eyes. "Now, tell me where the robot is?!" Maria demanded, her hand clenching tighter around the goblin's throat, her eyes now a molten gold in anger.

The goblin in her hand began to sweat, eyes getting wider. "He-he's further in! T-that's all I know! I'm just a paid patrol-guard, nothing more!" The goblin choked out, fear in his red eyes. Growling at the vague answer, Maria threw the goblin to the ground, before looking at Darius, Lilliana and Sachi, her eyes back to the bright gold. "You all deal with him." Maria said, before she felt something behind her. Gasping, she spun, barely blocking a sword coming down on her. "W-what the-?" Maria noticed the robot seemed a bit bigger than the others, it was colored a bit more darker than the others. _**"I think that might be the leader!"**_ Sachi shouted to Maria through the mind, sending ice at the robot.

Maria nodded and started to dash around, slashing at it, hoping her sword could cut through the metal due to the ice weakening the temper of the metal. Darius and Lilliana killed the goblin, before joining Maria to defeat it. Darius gave Lilliana a push onto the ledge and she ran around, shooting arrows at it, hoping to get between the cracks and break a few pieces off to better help Maria, Darius and Sachi. Darius would usually dash left or right to avoid an attack but he mainly stayed behind a pillar, shooting off bullets at it from his cannon. Suddenly an arrow wedge itself between the arm and shoulder joint, causing that arm to go limp. Maria noticed and jumped on the robot, pushing the arrow in deeper, cutting cords; she then used one of her swords and destroyed the arm, breaking it off. Maria jumped away as the robot seem to writhe in pain and she smiled in relief, panting the get her breath back.

Darius's eyes widened in horror as he saw the robots other arm form into a sword and ran toward her. "Maria, watch out!" Darius shouted, running toward her. "What?" Maria asked herself, turning around. Gold eyes went wide in horror, iris's shrinking as she robot swung at her, the blade of it aimed for her head. Darius lunged forward, pushing Maria away but getting his back cut in the process; a gash stretching along his back, right across his shoulder blades. Maria gasped in shock, before blocking as the robot tried to finish him off. "Sachi!" Maria shouted urgently, her Eidolon appearing at her side.

"Please, heal him!" Maria shouted, kicking the robot back. "Darius! AH!" Lilliana screamed in surprise as the robot slammed against the wall she was running along. Maria jumped to her, grabbed her, before jumping to safety as the wall crumbled, burying the robot. Looking at Lilliana, she nodded to her, signaling Lilliana to help her brother as Maria used one of her stronger moves to destroy the rocks, before jumping back, preventing the robot from hitting her. Landing on a ledge on the other side, she raised her swords a bit as the robot charged her.

Taking a deep breath, Maria jumped off, before thrusting her swords downward, spinning toward the robot. As a result, the robot's torso was shredded open and Maria stopped mid-spin, thrusting a hand in as she pulled the cords out, deactivating it. Letting it fall, Maria ran toward the others as Sachi finished healing Darius's back and Lilliana helped him stand. "Are you okay?" Maria asked, concern heavy in her voice. Darius sighed, before giving a nod, smiling. He rubbed Lilliana's head, before walking toward Maria, and smirking at her.

"You worry too much." Darius said, and Maria blushed, before looking away, embarrassed. "Idiot!" Maria shouted, walking away as Darius chuckled. "I wouldn't have to worry if you weren't so reckless!" She called back, yet Darius only laughed at the remark, even as Lilliana giggled beside him. Rummaging through the scrap, Maria smiled as she grabbed a pair of keys, before handing them to Darius who smiled. "Yep, these look like the ones. Alright, let's get out of here." Darius said and they nodded, yet Maria stayed put, her eyes blank.

Sachi seemed to notice the change, because she floated over to her Envoy, watching her curiously. "Maria…are you okay?" Sachi asked, causing Lilliana and Darius to stop, watching worried. "Is…Sachi…floating?" Lilliana asked, shocked and Darius nodded. Before they could respond, Maria's eyes came back into focus, and she looked around. "Where is it?" Maria asked herself, looking left and right. "Where is what?" Lilliana asked, coming over cautiously. "That energy…it's…!" Maria turned and ran off, Sachi right behind her.

"Maria, what're you-?!" Lilliana was cut off as Maria stopped and turned toward them. "Get the men out of here while you have the chance, then escape yourselves!" She said, taking a few steps backwards. "If the energy I felt is correct, this place is gonna go up in smoke!" Maria shouted, and ran off again. "Maria!" Lilliana shouted but gasped and was pulled back, their way to follow Maria was blocked. "Lilliana, we have to worry about the hostage's first. Let's go!" Darius shouted, dragging his sister with him to save the men.

 **With Maria:** Maria entered the last room and glared at the goblin before her, a snarl on her face. "So, you're the one behind all of this." Maria growled out, walking toward him threateningly with Sachi beside her, her staff glowing. "So, you're the humans who infiltrated my place!" The goblin growled out, angered. "Yes…and I am also your judge. You will pay for forcing these men to work, for killing them for disobeying and for thinking torturing them before death is fun!" Maria shouted and charged him

The goblin growled, and jumped into a robot, before swinging at her. Gasping with surprise, Maria blocked the blow, but was still slammed into a wall. "Maria!" Sachi called out, before glaring at the goblin. "Leave her alone!" Sachi shouted, sending a few ice-balls at the robot. "Wretched swine!" The goblin shouted, striking at Sachi. Maria reacted quickly, pulling Sachi away before she was hit; spinning, she hit the robot back, nearly shredding the torso open. Growling, the goblin transformed one of the arms into a gun and began shooting at them, the two girls jumping to the sides.

Maria growled as she blocked a sword coming down on her and tried to push the robot back. Smoke started to come from her arms and legs as more pressure was placed on her, causing her to growl in pain. _'I_ _f this keeps up much longer…I'll…'_ Maria's thoughts was cut off as the robot pushed harder. "Gyah!" Maria screamed as she fell to the ground, her arms giving out and she went unconscious. "Maria!" Sachi shouted, unaware two figures came running into the room.

 **With Darius and Lilliana:** Darius and Lilliana had freed all the human's and they left on their own, leaving Darius and Lilliana to go save Maria and Sachi, which is what they did. They found a different route and followed it; destroying anything that got in their way, as well as deactivating all bombs along the way. Maria wasn't kidding when she said the place would go up in smoke! They heard fighting further ahead and followed it, before they saw Sachi scream and saw the robot pick up Maria, who was unconscious, limp.

Sachi growled, her staff suddenly glowing very bright. "You'll pay for hurting my Envoy!" Sachi shouted, sending a huge ice ball at the robot, blowing it back but this caused Maria to fly to a wall. _'Envoy? Maria…is an envoy?!'_ Lilliana and Darius both thought, shocked. Darius gasped and ran toward Maria, dropping his canon. He jumped, catching her, before hitting the ground and landing on his back. Lilliana ran toward them, grabbing Darius's canon with her, before kneeling to the two. "Stay with Maria!" Darius ordered Lilliana, who nodded.

Darius ran to help Sachi, shooting bullets every now and then, hoping to help her defeat the robot. Sachi didn't seem to need help as the attacks she sent out kept getting bigger and more dangerous. Sachi had enough, froze the robot, before sending an ice wall at the robot, destroying it and crushing it. A few sparks came from the ice before it disappeared, leaving nothing but crushed metal...it seemed even the goblin had been killed as some of the parts had blood. Sighing in satisfaction, she slumped to her knees and Darius picked her up, the staff disappearing.

Carrying her back to Maria, Sachi struggled, wanting to be beside her envoy. "Stop struggling, I'm lying you beside her." Darius told her gently, setting her down beside Maria. "Maria…are you okay?" Sachi asked gently, trying to wake Maria. Noticing a little bit of smoke coming from the joints, Sachi quickly healed the arms and legs before the smoke became noticeable, hoping they wouldn't realize she was half robot. Suddenly, Maria slowly opened her eyes, noticing everyone was around her. "Wh-what happened?" Maria asked, fog clouding her mind.

"Well, Sachi killed the robot after it knocked you unconscious." Darius said and picked her up, knowing she'd be too shaken to stand. Sighing, Maria allowed Darius to carry her as Lilliana grabbed Maria's swords, before getting Sachi on her back, carrying her quiver with the swords and they left the dungeon.

 **Next Day, Morning:** Lilliana and Darius with Sachi smiled as Maria came downstairs, yawning, rubbing her eyes. "Hm? You two are still here?" Maria questioned, shocked and they smiled at her. "Well, we can't really leave an Envoy, can we?" Lilliana questioned with a smirk and Maria blushed, they found out! "How did you two find out?" Maria asked softly, sitting before them; Sachi right beside her. "I kind of…uh…let it slip yesterday in battle." Sachi stated, guilty and Maria sighed, patting her head and giving a smile. "Don't worry, it's okay." Maria said before Darius cleared his throat, grabbing her attention.

"The fact that you're an Envoy means I don't want to leave. Envoy's seem to attract people of different kinds, some wrong, some good." Darius explained as he leaned back a little. "Envoy's are to be protected to help balance the world, seeing as they control the power of the Cube of Gaia, which is real. I don't know why but the power of the Cube of Gaia must be strong in you if I have this gut instinct telling me to stay with you." Darius finished, laying his head on his hands, looking at her with a smile.

Lilliana nodded, smile bright and innocent. "Same here!" She exclaimed happily, jumping up. "I have this gut instinct telling me to stay with you, protect you and have the adventure of a lifetime!" She shouted happily, causing Maria to stare at the two before her. "Meaning…what exactly?" Maria asked, confused, rubbing her neck and the two chuckled. "Meaning, we wanna travel with you." They said at the same time, making Maria give them a dumbfounded look and Sachi to start laughing. "Maria, you should see your face!" Sachi said, before shaking Maria's shoulder. "How about it Maria? Let's bring them along, besides…they're our friends now." Sachi said, smiling brightly at Maria.

Maria sighed, thinking it over. She had been open during the assignment and that was a shock to her. Maybe…maybe they could help mend her broken heart? Looking at them, she smiled and nodded. "Yeah, let's travel together. Besides, maybe you two can help mend my trust." Maria said and the two nodded, before they all high-fived. The door to the inn opened as a woman wearing a purple dress walked in. "So, this is where you two were." A voice said and looking to the entrance, they saw a woman with long blonde hair, bright purple eyes, wearing a purple, dragon-winged dress.

"No way." Lilliana said shocked, eyes wide. "Aunt Sataka?" Darius questioned, causing Maria to jerk back in her chair a bit. "Aunt! How old are you two?!" Maria shouted, causing Lilliana to laugh and Darius to sigh, rubbing his temples. "I'm twenty-one years old, Lilliana is sixteen." Darius stated and Maria sighed in relief, they weren't that young. "Okay, I was worried because the woman looks to be twenty-five years old." Maria said as the woman walked in, stopping by their table. "I would appreciate it if you wouldn't talk like I'm not here." The woman, Sataka, stated, leaning against the table with her arms.

Maria looked at her, before noticing she looked just like the blonde scientist that use to work at the lab she lived at. Cocking her head a bit, she stared at the woman a moment longer, before shaking her head and looking away. _'Highly improbable.'_ Maria thought, before talking with Lilliana, unaware the woman had similar thoughts. _'I'm surprised she's alive. I thought the lab was destroyed along with thirty-eight years of work.'_ The woman thought, before sitting down. "Darius, Lilliana, don't you two have something to say?" Sataka questioned and Darius groaned, laying his head on the table.

"I'll explain." Lilliana said before Darius could say anything. "Maria, this is our Aunt Sataka, she's thirty-five years old. She's the last of our family and the youngest Aunt." Lilliana said and Sataka smiled, glad she was introduced. "Pleasure to meet you Maria." Sataka said, standing straight before placing one hand on her hip. "Excuse Darius's hesitation…me and him don't exactly get along much." Sataka said, before smacking the back of his head, as it looked like he was annoyed, making him snap his head up and glare at Sataka.

"See what I mean?" Sataka stated, causing Maria to giggle. The smack was obviously a signal from Sataka to Darius, though she wasn't sure what the signal was. This caused Darius to blush and rub the back of his neck, causing Lilliana to laugh. "Anyways, what're you all doing?" Sataka asked, laying her head in her hands as she sat down at the table. "We just got done asking Maria if we could travel with her." Lilliana said and Maria sighed, knowing what was next. "Really?" Sataka questioned and receiving a nod, she looked at Maria.

"Well, may I come along?" She asked and Maria, hummed, rubbing her chin. "Those two are the last of my family and, as I'm a sorcerer, I may be of some help." Sataka explained, smiling at the young Envoy. "Sure!" Sachi said before Maria could say anything and Maria sighed, before smiling. "Alright, you can come along." Maria said, Sataka kept her surprise to herself as she heard that familiar voice. _'I can't believe I was right…it IS her! She truly is alive but I thought they killed her as well. Well, I must say I am rather glad she is alive.'_ Sataka thought and they left the Inn, going to get ready for departure.


	5. New Allies

Upon leaving Navea, they entered Crescent Hill and walked down the steps, leaving the safety of the city, before Maria walked toward a red haired woman. "Thank you for everything, Anya." Maria said, bowing to her. The red haired woman smiled at Maria, red eyes soft to her. "No problem Maria. Remember, you're always welcomed within Navea and I'll pay for expenses." Anya stated, and Maria smiled as the other three came over. Anya looked at the them, before her gaze turned suspicious. "Oh, are these your friends?" Anya asked, analyzing them all.

"Yeah, I finally made friends." Maria said, rubbing her neck, embarrassed; Anya simply shook her head, amused. "I see. My name is Anya, it's a pleasure to meet you all." Anya said with her Templar attitude and the others winced at the sharp tone; Maria turned toward the others with a smile. "Anya has helped me ever since I came to Crescent Hill and after doing quite a few errands, I was suggested to Navea, where I meet her." Maria said, before looking back at Anya. "Since then, Anya has always been here for me." Maria stated, explaining how her and Anya meet.

"Anything interesting happen?" Anya asked, folding her arms. "I noticed how you left with Mirabelle to a site yesterday." She commented and though she tried to hide it, worry shone behind her eyes. Maria nodded, having expected that since she knew Anya saw them leave. "Well, I went with Darius and Lilliana to a factory where humans were being held captive." Maria explained, pointing to Darius and Lilliana. "I see, so who are you then?" Anya asked Sataka, who gave a soft smile. "My name is Sataka, and I am Darius's and Lilliana's Aunt." Sataka explained, giving a small bow, Anya gave a frown at Sataka bowing.

"Formalities…drop them, I have no care for such things." Anya snapped, causing Maria to flinch, and Anya coughed nervously…she needed to be careful of how she spoke. "Sorry. I forgot you're still a little frightened of harsh tones because of…that boy." Anya said with a sneer, and Maria nodded, Sachi hugging her slightly. "It's alright. Well, we best get going Anya. I'll see you later!" Maria said as she left with Sachi, the others following. "Be careful! Reports of Gydaie Glen emitting dark aura have been coming in!" Anya shouted, and saw Maria wave, knowing Maria got her message.

 **Cactakara Forest:** As they entered Brevis, a small village within Cactakara Forest, the village of dwarves, they noticed many seemed worried. Maria stopped a dwarf running by and noticed it was Augustus. "Augustus, what happened?!" Maria shouted over the screaming of panicked dwarves. Augustus seemed out of breath but stopped long enough to talk to her. "A lot of stuff. Apparently Gydaie Glen has been leaking harmful energy and many of the monsters have gone berserk as a result. We're doing everything we can to stop them but nothing seems to work!" Augustus shouted worried, and Maria clenched her teeth in anger.

"Sachi, let's go! Darius, Lilliana, Sataka, help the villager's!" Maria shouted, running off. "Maria, wait!" Darius shouted but she quickly disappeared behind the walls, heading toward a waterfall. Maria ran as fast as her legs would allow her as she ran toward Gydaie Glen, hoping to stop the monsters that have mutated to protect Brevis while she entered Gydaie Glen to stop whatever was mutating them. As she neared she was slammed into a tree, knocking it over with the force and noticed it was a mutated Giant Woodbeast and she growled, standing. The Woodbeast noticed she stood and swung at her but she rolled away, before running toward it and slashing at it.

She backed up, before her body glowed green and she struck with amazing speed, seeming to rip through the legs of the creature as it fell to its knees and she finished it off as her blades glowed purple and she spun vertically, shredding the torso open...therefore defeating it. "Let's keep going." Maria said to Sachi, who nodded and they ran in, disappearing behind the waterfall.

 **With the others:** Darius, Lilliana and Sataka were heading toward Gydaie Glen as well, hoping to help Maria. After they had helped the dwarves assemble their robots and put the last of the defense walls up, they headed to Gydaie Glen. As they neared, they heard a scream and turned toward the right, seeing a young woman being surrounded by Sarpa. They heard a melody escape from her direction, before lightning struck the Sarpa but they didn't fall. "We have to help her!" Sataka shouted, opening her tome; the other two nodded.

She read off a spell, before a dark aura covered the enemies and they turned their attention on Darius and the others. "Got their attention. Darius, get Lilliana to a high point, then protect the girl." Sataka stated, and Darius he got Lilliana on a tree, she readied herself and started firing off arrows. Darius ran toward the girl and noticed she was a bard. She looked at him wary, before he knelt to her. "Are you okay?" Darius asked her, and she winced. "A little. I was heading to Brevis to restock on supplies, when I was attacked. Usually the Sarpa leave me alone, but this time they chased me down." The girl stated and Darius nodded.

"The dwarves in Brevis said that the monsters have mutated, due to negative energy within the area. We were heading to Gydaie Glen to meet with one of our friends when we noticed you were in trouble. Are you sure you're okay?" Darius asked her gently and she nodded, blushing. "Y-ye-!" She suddenly noticed something behind Darius. "Watch out!" The girl shouted and Darius spun, before blocking the arm of a Woodbeast and he grunted. "B-back up!" Darius stated, and the girl nodded, backing up. Darius let the arm drop, causing the ground to shake, before he grabbed the girl by the waist and jumped to the side.

"Stay behind me." Darius told her and she nodded, blushing. Why was he protecting her? It was almost a knight-in-shining-armor act...though that only caused her heart to beat louder. Sataka finished off the last of the Sarpa, before turning her attention to the Woodbeast she saw attack Darius and it seemed Lilliana was the same. She strung three arrows, and released them, all hitting the Woodbeast and it looked at her. "Lilliana, run!" Darius shouted, his blue eyes wide in panic and worry. "I'm on it!" Sataka shouted, summoning multiple spells, getting the Woodbeast's attention.

"Gotcha!" Sataka shouted, before the Woodbeast fell, dead, and an energy orb went into Sataka's tome. "Thank you." The girl said, giving a small smile. "No problem." Darius said, before smiling at her. "By the way, my name is Darius, I'm a grenadier." He greeted, strapping his canon to his back. "I'm Maki, I'm a bard if you didn't notice." Maki said, holding her small harp up. _'He's kind of cute, I wonder what he's doing here.'_ Maki thought, before Sataka and Lilliana came over. "Are you two okay?" Sataka asked, mainly worried about Darius as she looked him over for any wounds.

Darius nodded to his Aunt, having expected the question. "I'm okay and I think Maki just healed herself." Darius said as they saw the wounds heal. "Yep, I love being a bard. Who are you two?" Maki asked, giving a small glance at Darius, then the girls. _'Family? Friends? Girlfriends? I think I'm jealous!'_ Maki thought, blushing at standing beside Darius. "I'm Lilliana, I'm Darius's younger sister! And I'm a ranger!" Lilliana stated, hugging Darius's arm and he gave an annoyed sigh.

"Here we go again." Darius whispered, and Lilliana pouted at him. "I'm Sataka, Darius's and Lilliana's Aunt and the last of their family. I'm a sorcerer." Sataka said and Darius walked toward the waterfall, Lilliana letting go of his arm. "We have to help Maria, she needs us." Darius stated, and Maki gulped. "M-may I come along? I'm a bard, and I may be of some help." Maki asked, blushing, and Darius shrugged. "Doesn't bother me, let's go!" Darius shouted and they nodded, following him in.

 **With Maria:** Maria screamed in pain as her back made contact with the crumbling walls, before looking at the brown battle bot before her. Fia, the Glimmering Fairy Princess said the robot was called Kayel, the Protect of Ancient Brevis. Maria groaned, standing, even as Sachi summoned multiple ice attacks at the enemy. Maria charged Kayel, glowing purple, before doing a vertical attack but she just bounced off. "Wh-what?!" Maria shouted, panic in her golden eyes. "Maria!" Sachi shouted, summoning a wall of ice before Maria, protecting her Envoy.

"Thanks!" Maria shouted, jumping over the wall, slashing downward on Kayel, who seemed to groan in metallic pain. Maria hit the ground, before dodging left and right, her blades glowing red; Kayel only seemed agitated, before it hit her into a wall, knocking her out. "Maria, no!" Sachi shouted, floating to her, and standing before her protectively. "I won't let you hurt my envoy!" Sachi shouted, summoning a raid of icicles on Kayel. That stopped him but Sachi was weakened, before wanting to cry as Kayel seemed to move again. _'I can't keep going…'_ Sachi thought in sadness as Kayel stalked toward them.

" **Thundercut**!" Someone, a male, shouted, before a line of lightening hit Kayel, making it look at the intruder. "You will not hurt anyone else, fiend!" A man wearing gold armor shouted, his red hair a perfect contrast against his golden armor. _'Who is he?'_ Sachi thought confused, knowing perfectly well it wasn't Darius. She saw the guy crouch a little, his shield glowing before his body glowed blue, his shield looking stronger. Suddenly, his sword glowed green and he charged the enemy quickly, nearly ripping through Kayel but the robot pushed him back before he could do any major damage. The Guardian, as Sachi had come to know what the class was, wasn't through yet though and just kept his pace of piercing Kayel's armor.

He suddenly destroyed one of the arms, causing Kayel to malfunction, giving the Guardian a moment rest as he ran toward Sachi and Maria. "Are you two okay?" The Guardian asked them and Sachi whimpered. "I-I don't know…my-my friend, she's hurt!" Sachi stated, not sure whether she should tell him she was an Eidolon. The man looked her over, before seeming to nod to himself. "Alright, stay put. I'll finish this robot, then I'll get you two out of here." The Guardian stated and Sachi nodded, healing Maria, even as the guy attacked Kayel. After a while Kayel fell and the Guardian sighed in relief, before walking toward them and picked Maria up, even as Sachi stood.

"May I ask your two's name's?" The Guardian asked and Sachi smiled. "My name is Sachi, I can wield ice. The girl you're holding is my friend, Maria, a duelist." Sachi stated and the Guardian smiled. "Nice to meet you Sachi, my name is Kavar. I'm a Guardian, as I'm sure you've noticed and I was sent by the Church to see what was going on at Gydaie Glen." The Guardian, Kavar stated, and Sachi gasped. "O-oh, you're sent by the church. Then have you heard of an Envoy?" Sachi asked but Kavar seemed confused. "I just recently joined the Church…but I might've heard some news about an Envoy. But the one I heard of has a father no one really likes." Kavar stated through gritted teeth, a look of annoyance on his face.

Suddenly the sound of something burning caught Kavar's attention, making him look over his shoulder and sigh. "Anyways, let's get out of here. We don't want to see that fire possibly spread any further than it already has." Kavar stated, seeing the blockade but the raging fires could overtake it. As they got to the center of Gydaie Glen, they heard footsteps and Kavar got in a battle stance, including Sachi but when Sachi saw Darius, she smiled. "Darius, over here, over here!" Sachi shouted and Darius whipped his head toward her and ran over to her, followed by Lilliana, Sataka and a bard Sachi didn't know.

"Huh? Who's the bard?" Sachi asked confused and the Bard looked at her. "What the heck are you?" Maki asked, looking at Sachi confused as well. Sataka only sighed in amusement, the two's confusion was adorable. "This will take time to explain…but Maki, this is Sachi. Maria's Eidolon, who is in the Guardian's arms. May I ask what happened?" Sataka asked the Guardian as Darius knelt to Maria. "She was being attacked by Kayel and I was able to save both her and Sachi. I didn't know you were an Eidolon." Kavar stated, looking at Sachi awed.

"Because it's not supposed to be common knowledge. If everyone knew Maria was an Envoy of Gaia, it could cause trouble." Sachi said and began floating instead, this caused Maki to recoil back in shock. "You can float?!" Maki shouted, shock on her face and Sachi nodded. Lilliana seemed annoyed that Maria wasn't getting the medical attention she needed, so she turned to look at Maki. "Enough Maki, can you heal Maria?" Lilliana asked, and Maki looked at Maria, and nodded.

"I do believe so. One second…" Maki trailed off as she began to recite a spell, a blue aura covered Maria, before she flashed and her wounds were gone. "There you go…now let's get out of here, I hear raging flames." Maki stated, and Kavar nodded. "Kayel caused a fire in Ancient Brevis and the blockade won't hold much longer. I agree, let's leave!" Kavar shouted and they ran out, intent on getting Maria to safety.

It was night as they had returned to Brevis and was currently resting in the chief's house but unaware to them all, a woman was in Maria's room. Her glowing blue eyes staring at Maria intently, even as her white hair seemed to glow in the moonlight and her dark skin glowed blue due to her armor. She placed a dark hand against Maria's pale cheek, before she smiled. "You'll find me soon…I know you will." The woman said and as the door opened, she disappeared and Maria stirred. "Maria, are you awake?" Sataka asked, coming in with the others. "Huh…Sataka?" Maria questioned, a little weak.

"So, you are awake. How are you feeling? Ill?" Sataka asked worried, as Maki got her harp ready. "Uh…I-I don't know." Maria answered, rubbing her head. A blue glow overcame her again as Maki chanted, when it faded she was able to think clearly. "What…just…happened?" Maria asked and Maki smirked. "That would've been me, you can thank me later." Maki stated, smiling in pride and Darius looked at her confused…what happened to her? He thought she was kind...not prideful; Sachi didn't seem to notice as she got closer to Maria.

"Also, Kavar here saved you after you went into Gydaie Glen." Sachi said, pointing to the red-haired Guardian. "Pleased to meet you Maria, Sachi told me who you were." Kavar said, giving a short bow and Maria nodded, sitting up. "Then I thank you, both of you." Maria said and gave a small smile, causing Kavar blushed. _'She's rather cute smiling.'_ Kavar thought and chuckled, causing Darius to glare at him. What the heck was up with this guy? Why did he seem flushed? "Are you sure you're okay?" Darius asked, sitting on the bed beside her, unaware of Maki's and Kavar's glare.

"Yeah, I'm fine don't worry. Thanks to Maki, I do believe all my wounds have healed." Maria said and Sachi smiled at her. "Maria~." Sachi sang and looking at her, Maria saw Sachi's hoping smile and she sighed. _**"Why?"**_ Maria asked Sachi telepathically and Sachi smirked. _**"Well, we may need a Bard and Guardian on this journey. And Kavar is allied with the church, so we may find something the more he travels with us."**_ Sachi stated and Maria groaned. "You ask them, I'm tired." Maria stated and fell back against the pillows; they were all confused, even as Sachi giggled.

"Kavar, Maki, you two wanna travel with us?" Sachi asked happily and they looked at her confused. "Travel with you?" They questioned, and Sachi nodded. "Yeah, travel with us." She repeated, before looking to everyone else. "We're searching to find out Maria's past and hopefully find out her connection to the world of Gaia. Not to mention, there's a woman out there calling for her, and we all will get stronger!" Sachi stated, hoping to convince them. Maki and Kavar looked at one another as they thought…there was something else to this journey, but they had a feeling the others would tell them later. But now, they felt compelled to join, especially since an Eidolon asked them directly.

Kavar knew he had errands for the church to do but he was also traveling to better his sword skills, he smiled as he figured this was the best way to better his skills. Maki smiled to herself as she realized this was what she had been wanting; freedom! Not to mention, Darius was quite the attractive fellow, maybe she could finally find the happiness she was searching for.

"Sure, I don't mind joining. I could really use this journey to better my skills for the Church." Kavar said, and Maki smiled as she nodded. "Sure, besides, you all will need a bard to patch you all up. I'll be happy to tag along! Not to mention, this was the kind of freedom I was looking for." Maki stated and they all smiled. Suddenly, something dawned as Lilliana as she realized what it was Maki said. "Wait, freedom?" Lilliana asked, titling her head, confused. "Yes. I'm a noble after all." Maki said, retying her ponytail, even as the others seemed shocked.


	6. A Deadly Request, Delay in the Journey

They were finally getting ready to leave, especially since Maria was now fully healed and fully rested. Darius had spent a lot of time in and out of her room, constantly checking up on her. Currently he was walking with her to the Brevis Chief, Alain, so say goodbye before they would reunite with the others. "Thanks for letting us stay so long, Alain." Maria said, smiling softly at him; Alain only chuckled. "Don't worry about it, it was no problem for me. Besides, you helped us restore balance to Cactakara Forest, so I should be thanking you." Alain stated, thus causing Maria to giggle, he certainly was nice.

"Still, I deeply thank you for helping us. I really mean it." Maria said and Alain only smiled, as Maria and Darius went to meet the others, Mirabelle ran toward them. "Wait, wait! Maria, Maria!" Mirabelle shouted, catching the black-haired duelist's attention; Maria turned toward Mirabelle, stopping as the blonde girl ran into her legs, catching the other's attention as they weren't too far off. "Hn? Yes Mirabelle, what is it?" Maria asked, holding Mirabelle's shoulder, realizing something was wrong.

"I have something urgent I need to tell you…it's horrible!" Mirabelle stated, tears in her eyes and Maria knelt to her, even as the others came over. "What's wrong?" Sataka asked and Mirabelle took a deep breathe. "I've been meaning to let you know but you were always so busy. There was this…request…but it wasn't a good one." Mirabelle said and gave the copy she had to Maria. "This was taken by a brawler, those who use Katar's." Mirabelle said, before she looked up at Maria. "The request was to kill you, Maria!" She shouted, tears running down her face.

Everyone jerked a little in shock, even Maria, yet she kept in her knelt position. "Kill me?! What for?!" Maria shouted, shock and horror on her face. "I don't know who posted it or who wants you dead but it was signed BAT. I don't know who BAT is, but they said they were a survivor. Read it." Mirabelle said and Maki knelt to the girl to calm her down, even as Maria looked at the request.

 _ **'Daring Challenger's,**_

 _ **I am a survivor from BAT, and lab devoted to saving the lives of many people who are on the brink of death. As we were nearing the end of our research, a woman attacked the lab, and destroyed over thirty-eight years of work and research. She had a young girl with her who helped the woman kill everyone there…I just barely managed to escape. I ask anyone who dares to attack this duelist to kill her before she kills anyone else.**_

 _ **Her little friend is a demon, and so is the woman! She killed everyone! I will give a hefty reward to anyone who can kill her, and her little friend.**_

 _ **BAT.'**_

Maria's golden eyes darkened, as a snarl formed on her face and Sachi growled, her eyes hot pink in anger. "Maria?" Sachi asked worried, yet anger was obvious in her voice. "…I know Sachi, I know." Maria whispered softly to her Eidolon, before she looked at Mirabelle, trying to stay calm. "Mirabelle, was there anymore of these?" Maria asked, worry and anger in her eyes. "Nope!" Mirabelle sniffled out, slowly composing herself. "I took all the requests everywhere else off the boards so no one would come after you. The last one was here and I was going to take it down and show it to you since you were here, but then the brawler took it off." She said, taking a deep breath as she finally calmed down.

"Please, please, please be careful!" Mirabelle plead and Maria smiled, handing the request back to Mirabelle. "Don't worry, I will." Maria said, before she began to think about something. "…What did the guy look like?" Maria asked, wondering if it was a man she knew, standing up. "Huh? Well, he-!" Mirabelle stopped as a thought crossed her mind. "Wait a second! You're not gonna go after this guy, are you?!" She asked, though before Maria could explain, Mirabelle shouted once more.

"Maria, that's suicide!" She exclaimed and Maria sighed, she should've know Mirabelle would've reacted that way, the girl worried about Maria constantly. "I was asking so I could keep an eye out for this man." Maria explained, placing a hand on her hip. "That way, if we encounter him, I can try talking sense into this man so he won't kill me, my friends and Sachi." Maria stated, making the group smiled, she was admitting they were friends rather than allies already.

Mirabelle seemed unconvinced, but she eventually relented as she gave a sigh. "Okay…well…he had short white hair, covering one of his…I think they were teal eyes?" She questioned herself as she tried to remember. "He was wearing white leather armor under black, gold and blue dragon like armor. He was pretty scary and he had this wicked smirk when he took the request as he left. I noticed he was a brawler when he unsheathed his claws to cut the request down to see it and he was really silent when he left, so I'd be careful. Something tells me he's use to these kinds of missions and that it's something assassin based." Mirabelle said and Maria smiled gratefully, now she had an idea on what to look out for should this guy find them.

"Thank you Mirabelle, I'll be careful and you should be too. I don't want him hurting you when he finds out you told me." Maria said and tightened the belt for her swords, before she noticed a dark aura around Mirabelle. "He wouldn't dare attack me." Mirabelle said with a dark look and Maria chuckled nervously, the others paling. "R-right, w-well, see ya Mirabelle." Maria said, and Mirabelle smiled cheerfully, as if she never had a dark look to her mere moments ago. "Right, see ya Maria!" Mirabelle shouted, waving as they left. "So, where to next?" Darius asked, running to walk beside Maria. "Well, I need to head to Helonia Coast and talk to Mayor Madeline." Maria explained, bringing a letter out of her pack.

"I got a letter a few days ago saying she spotted the woman I'd been looking for. The woman I'm searching for was the one I described to you when we meet." Maria explained as she looked at Darius, before Kavar spoke. "You're searching for someone?" He asked, and she smacked her forehead…she forgot to tell them. "Yes, a woman with long white hair, dark skin, and glowing blue eyes wearing blue armor." Maria said as she turned to look at Kavar. "I have a feeling she's linked to my past and hopefully I can gather some information from her about this…possible 'link to Gaia' I have." Maria explained and Maki with Kavar nodded and the group continued to Helonia Coast…unaware of blue eyes watching them. _'Be safe…Maria…'_ The woman thought, before she disappeared, gold sparkles left in her wake.

 **Next Week:** The group had made fast progress to Helonia, after going through Crescent Hill and neared the road to Port Skandia, in which Maria stopped. _'I hope everyone is okay…I should return one day and say hello. But not today.'_ Maria thought and ran to catch up to the others, as they walked toward the Mayor's house. "Maria!" A female's voice hollered and Maria turned her head, only to see Madeline. "Mayor Madeline, it's good to see you!" Maria shouted and ran toward the long, brown haired woman.

"It's good to see you as well Maria, how are you?" Madeline asked Maria, a small smile on her face. "I'm good…well, as good as one can be ever since the incident with you-know-who." Maria sneered out and the others paled at the obvious venom in her tone. Something bad must've happened to her to make her angry, yet Sachi, Darius and Lilliana knew whom she spoke of. "Yes…I've heard about the incident from Chief Omar in Crescent Hill, he told me what happened. But it seems as though you've made some friends…hopefully they can repair your trust." Madeline said with a soft smile and Maria nodded, a small smile on her face. "Same here. Anyways, what did you want to tell me?" Maria asked and Madeline smiled.

"Oh that's right! I was so happy to see you I nearly forgot. I got a letter from Luther, whose at the Demarech Mines and he told me that he saw a woman fitting your description there at the Mine's." Madeline said, handing Maria the letter. "Luther's at the Demarech Mines?" Maria asked, some shock in her voice. "Yes he is." Madeline said with a proud smile. "Ever since you chased the pirate's away, he told me your courage made him want to broaden his horizons." She replied, her smile growing bigger. "Alright then, we best get going!" Maria stated but Maki stopped her.

"Wait!" She shouted and they turned to her, surprised at her outburst. "What?" Maria asked, a little bit of annoyance in her voice; she wanted to get moving! "The road to Demarech Mines is closed." Maki explained, shocking them. "The Church closed it after an incident happened at Tomista Village, so the road has been closed down. No one is allowed entrance without the Church's permission." Maki explained and Kavar nodded, remembering what he was told. "That's right! Grand Bishop Belenus won't let anyone pass without his approval and as a result, Leader Victoria makes everyone leave the area if they do enter." Kavar explained with a sad sigh.

"B-but I have to get there!" Maria explained, panic in her eyes. "That woman…she's calling me!" Maria shouted and Madeline thought. "Maria…you know Anya, correct?" Madeline questioned and Maria nodded. "Yeah, why?" Maria asked, tilting her head a little. "Maybe you can ask Anya to allow you access." Madeline suggested, looking up at her. "See if Bishop Belenus will listen to her, so you may meet that woman. She might be one of the key's to your past." Madeline reasoned and Maria thought, before she gave a nod.

"Sounds like a good idea, thanks Madeline!" Maria stated as her as the others left, heading toward a warp crystal. The woman would continue to call until Maria meets her and Maria would do anything to meet this woman. Maria felt this woman would help her…help her unlock her mysterious past…help her realize who she truly was.

 **Once again, I apologize for the short chapters, but if I didn't, the parting of the chapter's wouldn't seem right and this chapter was meant to kind of show what they plan to do, kind of show Maria's leadership skills AND do we have a new enemy in the future? Heeheehee, well we might just find out soon enough. ^^**


	7. Order's and The Commander

Maria entered Navea with a furious Anya and the others where following a few steps behind, Kavar with his head hung low. They had tried to enter Demarech Mines without permission first to see how bad the road was...only to be denied at a blockade. They had gone to the walls of Navea and spoke to Anya about what happened...the reaction was...less than pleasant. "I can't believe that you all are being denied access, especially you Kavar!" Anya shouted and everyone within the city moved aside, fear on their faces.

Anya was not someone you get mad and when she was mad…catastrophe would follow. Many Templar's have faced her wrath…especially when one made fun of Maria for being an Envoy. Anya had found out who the Templar was when she heard about it and the next day, the Templar was apologizing to Maria with Anya standing behind said Templar. Maria had been confused while Anya had smirked in pride; apology success! They entered the Church but Maria was stopped at the door with a sword to her throat. "Not another step Envoy of Gaia!" A man with short orange/brown hair, blue eyes and wearing white, red and gold armor shouted.

"Commander Andre!" Anya shouted, shock in her red eyes as she spun to face him. Maria looked at the Commander of the Templar's and gulped. He was intimidating; tall, buff, sword and shield held tightly but the anger on his face is what scared her. She had never seen someone with so much rage in their expression, it frightened her to no end. Suddenly the sound of something being cocked caught her attention and the next thing everyone knew was Darius had his cannon to Commander Andre's face.

Darius held it up with one arm, his blue eyes burning with rage and determination, an arm was wrapped around Maria's waist protectively. "Lower your weapon." Andre ordered but Darius only narrowed his eyes. "No." He defied ferociously, keeping his arm around Maria. "Enough, all of you!" A voice shouted deeper in the church and they all saw it was Belenus. "But, Grand-!" Andre was cut off with a sharp look. "Ease yourself Andre," Belenus soothed, hoping to calm the Commander. "there is no need to be so aggressive toward her. Besides, I have meet Maria and her Eidolon, Sachi, on countless occasions." He said, though when he saw Andre was still tense, he sighed.

"Calm yourself." He ordered and Andre growled, gritting his teeth and allowing everyone to pass. Darius removed his arm from around Maria, keeping his eyes on Andre before turning his attention back to Belenus as they neared. "Grand Bishop Belenus." Anya said and bowed, along with the others. "Anya, Maria, Sachi, it is good to see you again. And who are the others?" Belenus asked warmly, a soft smile on his face. Maria smiled as they stood, she was happy to introduce the others.

"These are friends I made! Darius, the grenadier; Lilliana, the ranger; Sataka, the sorcerer; Maki, the bard; and Kavar, the Guardian. And as usual, I have Sachi with me." Maria said, hugging the pink-haired girl close to her who giggled happily. "It's a pleasure to meet you all and it's good to see you again Kavar." Belenus said and Kavar nodded, he had meet Belenus when he was recruited into the guard. Anya though stayed in her bowed position, looking up, despite the fact everyone else stood. "Grand Bishop, they request permission to enter Demarech Mines." Anya stated, catching the Grand Bishop's attention as he rose a brow.

"Oh? And for what reason would you require entrance to Demarech Mines?" Belenus asked and Maria stepped forward, ready to explain her reasoning. "As I spoke of during our last meeting, I had been seeing a woman in my dreams. The woman saying 'I Found You' and then asking me to come find her." Maria said, keeping eye contact with Belenus. "This woman is calling out to me and a friend of mine, Luther, along with a guide have entered the area. I got word that Luther has seen a woman matching my description and I must meet her." Maria stated and Belenus thought, she did need entrance but she couldn't...unless...

"Hm…it would seem you do need entrance…but I have something I've been meaning to ask you Maria." Belenus said and Maria gave all of her attention to him. "I know it's sudden…but are you willing to join our Church?" Belenus asked and she stared at him blankly. "What?" She asked, unable to believe what she just heard. "I have been meaning to ask, since you are an Envoy and we have been looking for one like you for a long time. One who has an Eidolon and hasn't abused their power. In all actuality, you have also already taken on many Church missions and I was wondering if you'd be willing to join the Church." Belenus said and before Maria could speak, Andre spoke.

"Grand Bishop, you can't be serious?!" Andre shouted, horror on his face…he didn't trust Envoy's. "I am Andre, now stand down!" Belenus ordered for the last time and Andre growled one last time, keeping his mouth shut. "Maria?" Darius asked, walking toward her; she seemed hesitant. "I…I don't know." Maria whispered to him…she wasn't keen to take orders…and it seemed Andre was against the idea. "Think about it." Darius began, hoping to assure her. "Most areas have been restricted due to the Church and we will have access to those areas; as a result we can figure out your past." Darius reasoned and she thought it over, before nodding.

He was right, the Church had blocked off a lot of places lately for some reason, so she guessed she would have to join the Church to do what she needed. "I shall join. I need to enter the Demarech Mines…and the nightmare is occurring again; the one about the black armored man." Maria stated and Andre with Anya winced, even as Gus glared at the ground and Belenus sighed. "I see and I understand your reason. Joining us, you will find more to your past and who these people." He said and she nodded, before he turned to look at Andre, who straightened himself. "Also, you will be placed under Andre's command." Belenus said, and Maria nodded…she was ready.

 **Later:** Maria left the church, paper-white, sweating and horrified! She had just been told the situation at the Mine's and what was going on. This Shadow Knight matched the man in her nightmare and she was curious to know this man…but she pushed it aside, she had other things to worry about, like getting to Demarech Mines. She entered the Inn and saw Anya at a table but noticed her group was nowhere around, the group had left earlier with Anya, so she had been alone to be briefed on the situation.

"Anya, where is everyone?" Maria asked sitting beside Anya; Sachi disappearing, she needed sleep. Anya put her drink down, eyes to the table. "They all have gone ahead to bed, but I wanted to talk to you alone anyways." Anya explained before looking at Maria, worry in her red eyes. "Are you really okay with this?" She asked, before looking to the side for a second. "I mean…it was obvious that you were reminded of B.A.T." Anya whispered, unaware one member wasn't asleep. Sataka had awoke a while ago and was heading to get a drink, yet she noticed the two talking and stopped to listen.

Maria sighed, knowing what Anya meant as Anya knew of her whole past as Maria had told her about it. "It's just…I feel like I'd be taking orders from B.A.T again. You must remember I was joined with them for a while because they…brought me back from the brink of death." Maria said and Anya nodded, taking a sip of her drink once more. "Be that as it may, are you okay?" She asked once more. "We're nothing like BAT, we're more understandable, but I need to know if you're okay with this?" Anya asked and Maria nodded. "Yes, I am." She stated firmly, before looking at Anya.

"Besides, knowing that this man called the Shadow Knight is out there wreaking havoc, kidnapping people and causing chaos, I must help this world." Maria said, heaving a sigh at the end. "Besides, I need to the permission of the church to enter all places. If I don't have that permission…I may never find out who I truly am, where I came from or why I'm here." Maria said, looking at her gloved hands. Anya hummed, Maria gave a valid point; everyone wanted to know their past. "Alright…but if anyone gives you trouble, you let me know. Okay? You're like my little sister." Anya said and ruffled Maria's head; the braided, black-haired girl laughing.

Sataka though, frowned from her position on the stairs; Maria told Anya about B.A.T? It worried Sataka and she now wondered if Maria knew who she, herself, was. If Maria knew that Sataka once worked for BAT; would she kill her, like she had done to all the other researcher's? Sataka sighed and headed back to bed…she'd worry about it at a different time.

 **Next Day:** Everyone was up and moving, getting stuff together, getting things sharpened...and Darius sticking close to Maria. After the incident between Maria and Andre at the Church, Darius got protective and stood beside her all the time…even if it made some of the others angry. Maki and Kavar seemed very jealous, Sataka found it amusing and Lilliana with Sachi wouldn't stop saying they were acting cute. Maria couldn't stop blushing and even Darius got flustered every now and then.

"We all ready?" Darius asked everyone when it seemed they had finished grabbing their things, they nodded. Sataka looked around as well, seeing if anyone was still packing. "I do believe we have everything." She responded, and Lilliana nodded as she giggled. "Yep! Now, are you going to stay like that the whole way there?" Lilliana teased and Darius blushed, as did Maria. Darius hadn't realized his left arm had been around Maria's waist but he quickly moved over a little, retracting his hand, still blushing like mad yet it made Sachi frown. "Aw, I thought it was cute!" Sachi complained but it earned another glare from Maki and Kavar. "Enough lovey-dovey." Maki snapped out and Sachi glared at her, still floating.

"Oh be quiet…or are you jealous?" Sachi questioned with slight annoyance, floating to her. A look of rage crossed Maki's face and she lifted a hand as if to strike her but a sword at her throat stopped her. She looked up and saw Maria's molten-gold eyes, a look of uncontrollable rage on her face; everyone watched with wide eyes. "Don't you DARE lay a hand on my Eidolon, my first friend, my family!" Maria shouted and Maki nodded, Maria slowly removed her sword, yet her Eidolon hung her head.

"D-don't get mad at Maki, Maria." Sachi pleaded with her Envoy. "I…I provoked her." Sachi stated and Maria sighed, her eyes normal gold again. "Alright…at least your taking responsibility." Maria said before she looked at Maki and sighed, rubbing the back of her head. "…Sorry Maki…I just don't like people showing harm to Sachi. I'm...protective of her." Maria explained, not noticing Maki's angry look. "Yeah, whatever, let's go." Maki said and walked out the room, the others following not too far behind.


	8. Demarech Mines!

As they walked down the road, the group got acquainted with one another. If they were going to be working together, they realized that they would have to know each other better and even Maki added a few things in after she cooled down. "I see, so that's why the Church blocked the road." Kavar said, having been explained what it was Andre had said to Maria after they had left. "As a new recruit, I wasn't too sure on the whole situation." Kavar stated and Maria nodded, having decided to explain what they would be doing.

As they neared the end, they saw a blockade and picked up their pace. A few guards ran over and secured the blockade. "We are sorry, but there is no one allowed to Tomista village at the moment." One guard stated and then Kavar walked forward. "We have been given permission by Grand Bishop Belenus to enter Tomista to help with the investigation." Kavar said and showed them the badge they all had. "O-oh, Kavar, it-it's been a while." The guard responded, surprised to see the new recruit.

"Yes it has Taka, can we pass?" Kavar questioned and they nodded, allowing them through. As they entered Tomista, they saw a woman with blue hair, wearing red glasses and armor similar to Andre's talking to a few soldiers. As they left, they approached and she noticed them before she smiled. "Ah, Kavar, it's been some time!" The woman exclaimed and a small blush appeared on his face. "Hello Victoria, everything okay?" Kavar asked and her smile fell. "No…things haven't been okay here." Victoria said, before she looked them all over.

"I got word from Andre, earlier, that you all were coming and to tell the truth, we need all the help we can get." Victoria explained, giving a tired sigh. "What can we do to help?" Maria asked, walking forward with Sachi. "Well…" Victoria trailed off, looking at her paper.

 **Elsewhere:** A woman with long blonde hair, blue eyes, wearing elegant battle armor and carrying a lance and shield watched Tomista intently, worry within her eyes. She was worried about the young Envoy of Gaia as she walked around, trying to gather information on what was going on. _'Her life…it's in danger. The Shadow Knight's minions are searching for her and she could be killed if she isn't watched.'_ The woman thought before she closed her eyes and clasped her hands together.

"Spirits of Gaia, Eidolon's across Terra, I ask one request. Hear my plea, the girl is in danger; the Shadow Knight and his minion's search for her, intent on harm. Watch her with me, protect her with me and once the time arrives, fight alongside her with me." The woman chanted, before she glowed blue and disappeared in gold sparkles.

 **Next Day:** Maria left with the others; Sataka, Darius, Lilliana, Kavar, Maki and Sachi as they were given their new assignment…but it was due to Victoria's anger. A resident, Bobby, had left to save his father and the others from the mine's after he had been told to stay in Tomista with everyone else. His fiance had been sworn to keep it a secret but she had let Maria know because she was worried about it. When they told Victoria, her anger had been shown clear as day and had ordered Maria and her group to find him and bring him back. As they left her, they heard her grumbling about: 'Does that guy have a death wish?' or 'I can't believe he'd cause more trouble for us at a time like this'.

To avoid being a target of her wrath, they left quickly, not wanting to endure her anger. "Okay, so she said she saw him go this way." Maria said and Kavar placed a hand above his eyes to block the sunlight. "Looks like we have a rough road ahead of us, it's crawling with lion's and the birds. Let's be careful." Kavar stated and they nodded. "Alright, looks like it's time to cut a path through." Maria said, before she turned toward the others. "Darius, Sataka, keep Maki between you two. Sachi stay in the back with Lilliana and hit from afar. Kavar, you and me will cut a path, so stay alert but hit hard!" Maria stated and they all nodded, getting into position. "Alright…let's go!" Maria shouted as she glowed blue and group of seven charged forward.

As they passed the bridge, the horde of lion's saw them and attacked. Maria growled and swung at one, cutting it across the face; Sataka used **Blood Seal** on it and then used **Shadow Bolt**. Maria slashed at it again, before an arrow struck it, killing it. Another charged from the left and Kavar swung with his shield, stunning the lion, before he slashed at it; creating a gash across the chest. Darius used **Cannon Salvo** , before he growled as the lion jumped over Kavar, striking Darius across the shoulder as he jumped back. Maki gasped, before she cast **Ballad** ; healing everyone in case anyone other than Darius got hurt. Lilliana grabbed three arrows, before she notched them; using her **Triple Shot** as the three arrows struck their target, killing it.

They continued this way for a while, the tactic was long but effective and they made progress, finally getting their way through the area, getting out of reach of the lions. "Finally…I hated those things." Kavar said, and Maria looked at him confused. "Hated those things?" Maria repeated as everyone was healed by Maki. Kavar nodded as they got a distance away to talk. "Yeah, it's a training regimen by the Church to see if you're ready for harder tasks. Most Templar's need about a year's worth of training before they even take those things on." Kavar explained, pointing at the growling and snarling lion's.

"Sounds like something I'd hate." Maria grumbled and Kavar nodded as the others made came over after making sure the lion's didn't follow. They headed along their current path, hoping to find Bobby, when a voice suddenly called out. "Maria!" Someone, a male, shouted. Looking around, they saw a man with medium length, black hair, brown eyes, wearing traveling clothes and he had a backpack beside him. A woman was knelt down beside him, looking to be tending to a man. "It can't be…Luther!" Maria shouted with a smile, running toward the man and giving him a small hug, both Kavar and Darius glared a little in envy.

"Hey, it's been awhile." Luther said when she let go, a smile on his face. "It has been a while, how have you been?" Maria asked and he chuckled, rubbing his neck. "Well, ever since you drove the Catseye Pirates out of Helonia, I began traveling." Luther explained, Maria nodding. "I wanted to gain some courage for myself and began doing some investigation. Eventually, I ran into Rebecca, she's a guide in these parts and since then, I've been traveling with her." Luther said, a little sheepishly.

"Have you…you know, gotten over…" Maria trailed off, wondering how he's been since a certain incident. "Gotten over…who?" Luther questioned a little confused, before he suddenly realized what she was talking about. "Oh, uh…y-you mean Selena?" He asked and Maria nodded, her eyes holding sadness as she knew Luther had loved Selena for a long time...but it was never returned. "Well…uh…as long as she's alright, happy and safe, I'm fine and I'll be happy for her." Luther stated, before a groan got his attention.

They looked over at the woman on the ground with a man. "Luther, he's gotten worse." The woman, who looked like Madeline but had a darker shade of hair, said looking at the man she was tending to, worried. "Geez, I wonder what he did to get himself into this predicament." Luther stated, kneeling to the man as well and so did Maria. "What happened?!" Maria shouted, horror on her face seeing the bleeding, wounded man. "We don't know." Rebecca explained, shaking her head.

"We were travelling through this area to avoid the Scavenger Birds when we saw this man lying on the ground, wounded." She finished explaining, before she used more gauze to stop a wound from bleeding. Kavar knelt down as well, looking at the man before his eyes widened. "Wait, this is Bobby, he's been missing in Tomista!" Kavar shouted, shocked to see him. "B…bag.." Bobby mumbled and Maria hummed, she stood looking around. "M-my…b-bag…" Bobby mumbled again and Luther sighed. "Maria, we're gonna need your help." Luther said and Maria smiled. "I already know what to do." Maria stated and he smiled back; they had work ahead of them.

 **Later:** Maria panted for breath as her, Darius and Lilliana sat near the Demarech Pool, all out of breathe. They had been given different tasks and had helped Bobby heal, but he spoke of dangerous things happening at the Demarech Pool. So Maria, Darius and Lilliana took on the harder tasks, allowing the others to go look for Bobby's bag. "These things just keep reappearing." Lilliana moaned out, and Darius flicked her forehead. "It's because of those blue sphere's sis, get that through your head." He said and Lilliana pouted, rubbing her forehead where he flicked her.

"Instead of attacking all the golems, bugs and soldier's, worry more about these blue glowing balls." Darius said as one appeared before him and he smashed it. They looked at Maria and saw her glow blue again and she sighed as she felt herself energized again. She ran toward a small group of blue sphere's and smashed them all, using **Snowflower** , the ice from her blades hitting the other blue orbs, breaking them. Maria began panting, and stumbled but Darius held her steady. "Let's leave, we did our part." Darius stated and Maria nodded, agreeing with him.

Before they could leave, they heard swirling energy behind them. "Maria…it's been a long time." A woman's voice said softly and Maria gasped, turning around quickly, the voice sounded familiar. She saw the woman she had seen in her dreams and the woman smiled gently, her gaze tender and soft. She was a dark-skinned woman like Maria had seen, bright blue eyes that would glow in the dark with slightly silted pupils, with long white hair and dragon looking armor that was white with blue trimming everywhere, and purple on a shield she held.

Maria could only stare in awe as the woman descended toward them and touched land, the blue glow around her fading. "Who…are you?" Maria asked, gold eyes wide and the woman smiled. "You should know my name, Maria." The woman said and Darius growled, standing before Maria protectively as did Lilliana. "How do you know her?" Darius asked, worried the woman might actually be a threat and the woman frowned at him. "Well, you aren't very nice." The woman commented, before looking at Sachi. "…Sachi, does she-?" The woman was cut off as Sachi shrugged, shaking her head, before she looked at Darius.

"Darius, lower your weapon, she means no harm." Sachi stated, floating beside the guy and he sighed, looking at Maria and she nodded. "Who are you? How do you know my name?" Maria asked, walking toward the armored woman slightly. The woman sighed, realizing what was going on. "I see you do not remember me. Then let me reintroduce myself…my name is Saari, Champion of the Slain." The woman, known as Saari, said as she gave a short bow. Maria jerked a little at the action, waving her hands about frantically. "Wha-?! Whoa, whoa, whoa don't bow!" Maria stated quickly, gold eyes wide.

Saari looked up, seeing something she had seen before. _'Her eyes…they are…different. It must be an effect of what B.A.T did to her…those monsters.'_ Saari thought as she straightened herself. "So…why are you all here?" Saari asked and Maria looked around the pool. "We've been trying to figure out the mutation going on through Demarech Mines, everything is changing." Maria explained, before turning her attention back to Saari. "Our current thought is the Cube of Gaia is the cause but we're not yet entirely sure. The current holder of the Cube of Gaia is a ruthless man by the name of Reinhardt." Maria explained to Saari, who hummed.

"I see…then, I might be of some assistance." Saari said and held a hand out to Maria, who looked at her confused. "Like Sachi, I too am an Eidolon and I can form a pact with you as well. I will be under your command and you can call whenever you need me." Saari stated and in her hand formed a blue key; Maria looked at Saari surprised. "A-are you sure?" She questioned, her timidity back. Saari gave a reassuring smile. "Yes, I am sure. I would be honored to have you as my Envoy." Saari said with confidence and Maria smiled, grabbing the Key. "Then…I accept." Maria said, closing her eyes; even as Saari's smiled widened at the confession.

The Key disappeared into blue particles and went into Maria's body and both Maria and Saari began to glow blue as Darius and Lilliana saw two blue aura's envelope one another and combine. A bright flash happened, causing Darius with Lilliana to shield their eyes as it got brighter. Suddenly, as fast as the light came it faded and Maria stood alone, glowing blue faintly. Soon, the glow also faded away and Maria opened her gold eyes, a soft smile on her face. "Thank you Saari." Maria said and giggled as she felt Saari's satisfaction course through her body. "Maria…what happened?!" Lilliana shouted in excitement, tackling the older girl in a hug.

"Huh?" Maria questioned confused. "What do you mean? I formed a bond with Saari, what else?" Maria questioned, like it was normal. Darius shook his head, showing she was wrong. "But Envoys of Gaia only have one Eidolon but…you have two?!" He exclaimed, before he rubbed his head, a little confused. "Usually, that is unheard of as more than one Eidolon's power consumes a human, even one Eidolon is enough to make a human become power hungry." Darius explained, his eyes wide in awe at Maria's ability to handle more than one Eidolon.

"I guess…I'm lucky?" Maria suggested, not too sure. Not too far away, a blonde haired Eidolon smiled as she had seen the bond take place, her white and red armor shining brightly. "Maria, you aren't lucky, you're special. More special than you know, more special than you can comprehend." The woman stated, before she disappeared into gold particles.


	9. Settling the Score!

The group had meet back up with Luther and Rebecca, had treated Bobby, given Victoria the map and were now resting before they'd head out tomorrow to the Mines themselves. Maria though, was unable to sleep; her golden eyes focused on the outside world as the rain poured. _'I need fresh air…but it's raining…'_ Maria thought sourly and Sachi looked at her sadly. "Maria…are you okay?" Sachi asked Maria, who sighed, shaking her head. "I can't sleep Sachi…are you tired?" Maria asked and Sachi was about to shake her head, but a yawn stopped her and she blushed embarrassed.

Maria giggled. "It's okay to yawn Sachi, but you need to rest." Maria said and when Sachi didn't protest, Maria dismissed Sachi and left the room, unaware of a pair of purple eyes were watching As she walked around the area outside the village of Tomista, she could feel someone was following her…the flow of Gaia was disturbed by the presence and Maria sighed. She turned to face her follower, ready to lecture them. "Okay, who's..." Maria stopped as she saw who it was. "Sataka?" She questioned, noticing that the blonde haired sorceress had followed her. Sataka nodded, yet her purple eyes didn't have the kindness they normally had.

"Maria…I have something I've been meaning to ask you." Sataka stated, her voice serious and Maria narrowed her eyes…she had a feeling she knew where this was going. Maria sneered at her, realizing what she thought was true. "I don't think you'd have to ask, it's about B.A.T isn't it? About what I did?" Maria questioned and Sataka nodded, making Maria scoff. "I'm surprised I didn't actually see you there." She stated harshly and Sataka chuckled. "Yes well, I quit before you arrived to kill everyone." Sataka said as she folded her arms.

"I had enough of working there, helping the people of B.A.T commit a terrible crime, so I left. But…I want to see exactly how much stronger you've gotten." Sataka stated, her grimoire floating beside her outstretched hand. "The people at B.A.T were excellently skilled…I want to see if you really did kill them or if they died from the fire." Sataka said and as Maria drew her swords, she attacked.

 **With the others:** Darius groaned as he woke up, feeling uneasy and he grunted as he sat up, rubbing his head and looked around. Why was he awake if everyone else was asleep? And what's with the uneasy feeling? Suddenly, he noticed two people were missing in their room. Sataka, and Maria were both gone, and he began to panic. Where were they?!

"Oh no…Sataka, Maria!" Darius shouted, startling the others. "Darius, what's wrong?" Maki asked with a sleepy voice, looking around to see what was wrong. "Sataka and Maria aren't in the room!" Darius stated and looking around, everyone noticed that the two mentioned were, indeed, missing. "Maria!" Kavar shouted, and hurriedly got his stuff together, as did everyone else.

 **With Maria and Sataka:** Maria and Sataka were both panting, even as the rain poured harder, threatening to hinder their vision of the other but they didn't care. Sataka was impressed, Maria had improved a great deal over the years she hadn't seen the girl but she wasn't exactly done just yet. As Sataka prepared her **Flame Impact** , Maria raised her swords and was about to strike but her eyes dilated as one arm suddenly shot out electricity and Sataka noticed the heavy smoke coming from it.

 _'She's…her arms…they…they-'_ Sataka held a hand to her mouth as she realized everything they did to her. _'They completely removed her arms!'_ Sataka thought in horror, she had never been told that! Sataka ran toward Maria, and used **Rejuvenation Mantra** , to heal the wounds but before she could finish casting it, Maria struck, her golden eyes a molten gold in anger. "Stop helping me!" Maria snapped out, glaring at her. "You're the one who attacked me, you're the one who helped BAT turn me into who I am today!" She shouted, cutting into one of Sataka's shoulders.

"A freak, a human without the proper body and you expect me to forgive you for that?!" Maria exclaimed in anger and Sataka growled as her shoulder began bleeding, Maria got a good strike on her. "I'll tell you this Maria, I didn't actually help them when it came to you, I was helping the others experiments." She shouted as she dodged a slash from Maria. "When your tube shattered, I helped then but I had no idea about what they did to your arms…or your legs!" Sataka back-flipped, dodging a **Snowflower**. "Heck, I didn't even know your half robot!" Sataka shouted and used her **Flame Impact** , but Maria dodged it.

Maria charged Sataka and used **Deadly Wink** before Sataka had time to react and Sataka screamed as she jumped back; her clothes torn and multiple scars lining her torso from the attack. Looking at Maria, she noticed the change within Maria, for Maria's eyes were blank and she lifted her swords and charged again. Sataka used **Blood Seal** , before she began chanting a higher spell as Maria was locked in place. "I WON'T SUBMIT TO YOU!" Maria shouted, breaking herself free.

"What?!" Sataka shouted and as Maria charged, someone blocked Maria's attack, as another pushed her to the ground. "Maria, Aunt Sataka!" Lilliana shouted, appearing and Sataka noticed Kavar protected her, while Darius had Maria pinned to the ground. "Darius?!" Maria shouted, shocked to see them. "What're you two doing?!" Darius shouted, more to Sataka than Maria but still kept Maria down. Maria growled, glaring at him. "None of your business, now get off!" She turned her gaze toward Sataka, eyes still a molten gold color. "We have a score to settle!" She shouted but Darius was firm.

When Maria realized she couldn't break free, her patience snapped. "Darius…I didn't want to do this!" She said, confusing him before she lifted her head. "Saari!" Maria called for her other Eidolon and Darius was thrown off Maria and Saari disappeared. Kavar was blown away from Sataka and before anyone could react, the two were fighting again, this time more viciously. "I swear, I didn't know the truth!" Sataka shouted, but Maria scoffed. "Didn't know?! How could you not?!" Maria demanded, swinging wildly.

"You worked for those people; they used us, abused us and turned half of us into robots to use for their own personal gain!" She shouted before she kicked Sataka back, who cried out in pain. "And you say you didn't know the truth?! That's nothing but a bunch of bull!" Maria shouted, dodging a fire spell Sataka sent out and destroying the totems. She got close enough to Sataka and when Sataka prepared her **Blood Seal** again, Maria struck. "SATAKA!" They all shouted but were shocked when Maria stopped her blade an inch before Sataka's throat, her eyes still a molten gold.

Everyone waited with baited breath, watching as the two panting women remained still when Maria spoke once more. "You say you didn't know...and while part of me doesn't want to believe you, the other part of me knows you are correct." Maria said, before she took a deep breath, her golden eyes return to their normal color. "So…I forgive you…for everything you might've done to me." She stated and lowered her swords, sheathing them. Sataka let out a breath, as did the others before she sighed, looking at Maria.

"W-well…you definitely have improved from then obviously." Sataka observed and Maria nodded, a slow smile forming. "Thanks…Sataka." Maria said and Sataka returned the smile. "Wait…" Darius commented, grabbing everyone's attention. "was that just a duel?" He asked in bewilderment and Sataka looked at them, before sighing. "In a way yes…and in a way…no." She said and when she noticed their waiting gazes, sighed heavily. "I guess I have some explaining to do." Sataka said, and seeing Darius and Lilliana nod in a serious manner, she groaned.

Sataka explained that she had worked at a place called B.A.T, a research facility that had been working for more than fifty-eight years on keeping people from dying, to keep them living. She then explained that Maria had been a subject but Sataka quickly explained that she got Maria out of there quickly before anything happened; when she saw the glare Maria gave her that is. As she explained, it occurred to Sataka that Maria was keeping her past of B.A.T a secret until she was comfortable about what truly happened, in which Sataka realized Maria was not ready to reveal what happened.

"So you got Maria out before anything really happened?" Darius questioned and Sataka nodded. "Yes, I would've gotten the others to safety but I couldn't keep working there and left without another word. I was done helping a facility that was, essentially, committing a crime." Sataka explained and Kavar sighed. "I've been told a little of that facility." Kavar said, getting their attention. "The Church had been after them for sometime because they had been robbing graves and kidnapping people." He said, before looking at the others.

"I heard that they were using a fragment of the Cube of Gaia to try and harness its power to, not only bring the dead back but create people, specifically Envoy's." Kavar explained and Maki seemed confused. "Why would they want to create Envoy's?" Maki asked, she didn't like that idea. "From what I understand from the paper we had been able to salvage from the building when we finally found the place, they wanted to use the power of Envoy's to get people to see that they could not only make people without having to have a partner, but that they were the smartest and most powerful people in the world by using Envoy's." Kavar then looked at Maria and Sataka.

"My guess is that they were going to use Maria as one of the first experiments but Sataka put a dent in that plan. But apparently someone destroyed the building because some things seemed to be missing and everything was either burnt or destroyed." Kavar stated as he turned his attention back to the others; Maria cringed...they didn't need to know who the culprit of that was. "Well, that explains some things." Maki mumbled out and they all sighed, before they noticed then sun was rising and Kavar hummed. "The sun's rising…it's time to head to the Mine's. If we have all our stuff together, let's get moving." Kavar stated and they nodded, they were always ready.

 **I made this part separate from Demarech Mines, seeing as I split it into two parts by doing this but I figured everyone wanted to know if Sataka and Maria ever confronted one another about what had happened. Maria doesn't want anyone to know what it was B.A.T had done to her and Sataka understands that; she didn't originally want anyone to know she was affiliated with the group. Anyways, this was to kind of show anger and forgiveness with Maria; she hates B.A.T...but she forgives Sataka for what she had done.**


	10. To Miner's Steppe

As the got to the Mine's and had been told the situation, they couldn't believe what happened. Miles, a Church Scholar that was abducted had been killed; Miles assistant, Maggie, was still missing but the rest had been able to escape due to Bobby. Maria looked over at Harvey and noticed he was staring at her curiously, Maria cocked a brow at him…he seemed much more than what he looked. Nate soon told the team to search up further the mines when suddenly the old man, Harvey, sighed. "I told you, these parts of the Mines aren't where the Shadow Knight is planning everything, it's the Mines to the east he's planning to search." Harvey suddenly spoke and everyone went silent.

Nate narrowed his eyes at him, and laid a hand on his sword. "What do you mean old man? You sure seem to know a lot about the Shadow Knight…are you league with him?" Nate asked in a serious tone and even Kavar reached for his weapon as well. Harvey just gave a mysterious smile, seemingly unfazed by the hostility, before he looked at Maria and the others. "I don't know what you're talking about. I do have a request though, find me my tools from the Stoneskin Lions and I'll tell you who I am." Harvey said and closed his eyes, while Nate looked at the others. "You heard what he said…go find those tools. I'll keep an eye on the old man here." Nate said and they nodded, leaving.

"That man…Harvey, looks familiar." Kavar said as they were out of earshot. "Maybe you've seen him in Navea?" Maria questioned and Kavar shrugged. "Maybe, but there seems to be more to it." Kavar explained and Maki hummed. "Maybe…he worked for the Church?" Darius suggested, standing beside Maria. "Who knows." Kavar said, when he suddenly realized how close Darius was to Maria and glared. Darius noticed the glare and stopped, glaring back. Maria chuckled nervously, before she looked at her arms, realizing they each held an arm.

 _'Oh Gaia…what do I do?'_ Maria thought worried and gulped, unaware of Maki's glare. _'What does he see in her?'_ Maki thought angrily, gritting her teeth in anger. "If you two don't mind, would you let Maria go?" Saari asked appearing, drawing her sword. Both Darius and Kavar quickly let go, feeling the hidden threat within Saari's words…she obviously was uncomfortable with their jealousy as well. As they attacked a few lion's, they soon found the tool box they were asked the get and returned to Harvey and Nate.

Harvey looked inside, smiled and handed the box to Nate. "This should be all the proof you need." Harvey said and Nate, with Kavar looked inside the box, before their eyes widened. "Y-You…you-!" Nate couldn't say more as he pointed an accusing finger at Harvey, shaking a little. "You gotta be kidding me…" Kavar simply said, eyes wide staring at Harvey. "What's going on?" Lilliana questioned, confusion in her blue eyes. "Look at the tools…that's the Templar Blacksmith symbol." Kavar said, showing them one of the tools that had an insignia.

They looked at Nate as he turned toward them. "He's the Legendary Blacksmith that use to work for the Church. After he trained Analisa, he retired and then disappeared. I can't believe you've been here this whole time!" Nate shouted, obviously frustrated and disappointed at himself and Harvey just smiled. "It's alright, don't beat yourself up for your hostility; I was done with smiting." He said, before chuckling as he waved his hands about. "And I just wanted some gosh-darn-privacy." Harvey stated, a little amount of annoyance in his voice. Maria smiled as she looked at him. "You trained Analisa well, she's an amazing Blacksmith." She complemented, the others agreeing.

"Thank you and I see you even wield a weapon made by her." Harvey said, looking at the duel-swords strapped to Maria's waist. "Yeah, she did an amazing job. She even mentioned you a few times but never stated your name." Maria said smiling, and Harvey smiled back…he had a sudden urge to do a little favor for her.

 **Four Days Later:** Maria groaned as she rubbed her forehead, staring at the entrance to Miner's Steppe where the Cube of Gaia supposedly once laid. Apparently there was something horrible going on within Miner's Steppe and they needed to solve it. Looking at the duel-swords she was given, Maria couldn't help but marvel at how they looked…they were perfect…and Harvey made them for her, HER! Maria couldn't stop the smile from appearing on her face, for she had never had anyone, except Analisa, create a weapon for her, but this weapon was special. It was made from Miracle Crystal, a normal mining material that had been infused with a little bit of the power from the Cube of Gaia.

 _'Tomorrow…we enter Miner's Steppe…and encounter whatever being it is within there. Maybe we can find Maggie and save her.'_ Maria thought, remembering how one of the kidnapped villagers, Miles assistant Maggie, was missing. Morning came faster than Maria expected and soon they were entering the dark cavern and Maria instantly felt a chill up her spine. "Everyone stay close…we don't wanna get separated." Maria said, looking at Sataka…why did she feel uneasy? Her answer was given as they were ambushed and still got separated. Darius was with Maria, Sachi and Lilliana, trying to protect them; Kavar was beside Maki, doing well in protecting her; while Sataka was alright on her own.

Sataka screamed as her grimoire was thrown out of her hand and she fell down. "Sataka!" Darius shouted, but growled as he was pushed back by some Miner's. _'Dammit, I gotta save her!'_ Darius thought, before they heard gunshots. "Just when I thought this place was safe, I guess not!" A voice shouted, a hint of nobility behind it. They saw a miner fall down in front of Sataka, who seemed stunned. Suddenly, Sachi appeared beside Sataka and healed her wounds, even as someone handed her the grimoire back. "You okay?" A voice, belonging to a male, asked.

Sataka looked up, seeing a long, blonde haired male, blue eyes, slightly tanned skin, with a charming smile on his face. "Yes…I should be fine." Sataka said as the male helped her up. "Aunt Sataka, are you okay?" Lilliana asked, running toward her, even as Maria and Saari killed the last of the attacking Miner's. Sataka nodded, looking at her niece. "I'll be okay, thanks to this man here." Sataka said, turning to look at the gunslinger beside her. Maria sighed in relief, before she also looked at the Gunslinger. "Thank you so much for saving Sataka for us, we didn't think we'd get ambushed here." She said, before placing her hands on her hips.

"What's your name?" Maria asked, looking at his guns. "My name is Toraka," He said, before holding one of his guns up. "second eldest of the Gunning-Smithers House." Toraka explained and Maria looked at his clothes and gun's again. "That explains the noble look." Kavar explained and the two stared at one another. "Wait a second!" They shouted and pointed at the other. "Kavar, you've changed!" Toraka exclaimed, shock in his blue eyes, slowly lowering his hand, placing it at his hip. Kavar chuckled, nodding. "I could say the same to you Toraka, you've changed a lot as well! Looks like you really did leave your mansion behind." Kavar said, his green eyes wide in shock.

"You two know one another?" Maki questioned, tilting her head a little. "Yes, we meet a lot at Navea, and his older brother guarded my family with a few others." Toraka said and smiled at Kavar. "I see you followed your older brother's footsteps, he'll be glad to hear." Toraka said and Kavar chuckled. "Listen, this is all touching and everything, but don't we have more important things to do?" Saari interrupted, making Toraka looked at her. "Ah, an Eidolon. First time I've seen one up close…" Toraka looked her over a little, before smiling. "and one who is quiet-MPH!" Kavar covered Toraka's mouth.

He nodded at Saari, seeming to agree with her idea. "I-I agree, let's keep moving." Kavar stated nervously and while Saari looked confused, she sighed and disappeared as the group continued moving. "Keep your flirtations to yourself Toraka, else Saari just might kill you." Kavar whispered to Toraka who sighed, before catching up with the others. "She is rather beautiful." Toraka mumbled and they continued inward. As they travelled, they made light chatter, sometime's defeating a miner or monster who tried to stop them. "So, why are you all here?" Toraka asked and Maria turned around with a smile.

"I joined the Church and agreed to help them defeat Reinhardt, the Shadow Knight. Something within me tells me that if I helped the Church, I'll be able to unlock my past." Maria said before she looked to the side, sighing. "But I fear things may drag me away from the goal." Maria mumbled and Saari reappeared, giving Maria a reassuring smile. "Don't fret Maria, things always get in the way, but the important thing is to remember who you are and stay true to yourself. If you can remember your friends, and understand who you are, you will never be drawn away from your goal." Saari said and Maria smiled.

"Thank you Saari." Maria said and Darius laid a hand on her shoulder. "Saari is correct," He added, as they continued to walk. "we all know how you are when you set your mind on something. I believe in you and I have a feeling you'll stay true to yourself no matter what." Darius said and Lilliana hugged her again. "That's right! We all are your friends now, you'll always remember us; just like we know you understand yourself and understand what you're trying to do." Lilliana said smiling and Maria looked at her shocked, before she smiled at the both of them. "Yeah, you two are right, I can do this! Alright, everyone, let's head deeper in!" Maria said and they cheered running forward but Maria stopped Toraka.

"Since you know our reason, what's your reason being here?" Maria asked, gold eyes showing curiosity. "I was asked by the Church to help with the investigation, and since it seemed like a good idea, I joined the Church as well." Toraka explained, seeing no reason to hide his reasoning. "They did say I'd meet a group with an Envoy of Gaia and seeing Saari showed me that you are the Envoy of Gaia I've heard about." Toraka said and Maria nodded, even as Sachi appeared. "What? Are we famous or something?" Sachi asked, grinning and Maria sighed. "A little I guess." Toraka responded with a shrug.

"Anya won't stop talking about you two, Andre keeping mumbling about two Envoys of Gaia, Gus likes to praise your all's efforts to willingly do jobs that no one else will do." Toraka said and Maria gave a small smile. "I see, well…since you're here and I know Sachi won't stop bugging me, wanna join the team?" Maria asked, straight to the point and Toraka seemed shocked. Seeing his shocked expression, Maria decided to elaborate her own reason's. "You did just save our Sorcerer, Sataka, and not many people are willing to save a stranger. I think that proves right there that your trustworthy enough to help us. Besides…" Maria trailed off closing her eyes as she smiled.

"I sense a kind heart, strong will and a smart mind within you. I feel like you can really help us with the Church and you seem like someone who doesn't mind getting dirty." Maria said with a giggle and Toraka smiled. "Well, if you see that many good things about me, who am I to say no?" Toraka questioned and Maria smiled happily. "Alright then, welcome to the team!" Maria said and the two shook hands and Toraka's eyes widened at the strong feeling he felt. _'If I can feel such power from a simple touch…then she's an extraordinary person.'_ Toraka thought and followed Maria.

 _'The reason I saved Sataka was, not only did she looked beautiful but she seemed to have been in a bind.'_ He thought, before he gave a quiet chuckle. _'I have a feeling I'll finally feel what it's like to have an adventure.'_ Toraka thought and smirked, finally feeling he found what he was looking for.

 **Later:** Maria panted as they defeated the Crystal Beetle, Ramgram; before she looked at the other's and hurried over to them. "Are you all okay?" Maria asked worried and they nodded. "Yeah, we're okay. What about you?" Darius asked, worry in his voice and Maria smiled. "I'm okay, don't worry about me." Maria said, before Maki used **Healing Tones** to heal all wounds and stood. "Let's keep going, I think I saw Maggie." Maki urged, and they all nodded. They had encountered Flaude a while ago and saw him wounded, along with a few wounded soldier's…sadly some had been killed.

He had told them that Maggie, Miles assistant, had turned against the Church and was now working for the Shadow Knight. He also explained that she had incredible power and that Maggie was the one who dealt such damage to them. _'I have to stop her.'_ Maria thought as they headed deeper in, defeating anything that got in their way. They soon saw her look at them and run deeper in. "Maggie, stop!" Maria shouted, she was trying to get away but they soon cornered her at the end and she growled, turning to them.

"Maggie, stop this nonsense!" Kavar shouted, standing before the group and Maggie chuckled darkly; what nonsense? "Nonsense?" She questioned with a malicious voice. "No, you are mistaken, I am doing this for my Lord." She said before she began to stomp her foot. "My. Lord. Shadow. Knight!" Maggie empathized every word with a stomp, before she began chanting. "Maggie, no!" Kavar shouted, before Toraka yanked him back. "WATCH OUT!" Toraka shouted as five versions of Maggie appeared and Maria gasped.

 _'Illusion's…dark magic…my dream…the Shadow Knight does the exact same thing in my dream.'_ Maria thought, when suddenly everything began shaking and Maggie gave a dark smile. "Titanus, get rid of them!" Maggie shouted, falling to her knees, weakened. Titanus looked to be a giant red Cyclops, wielding a giant axe with spikes coming from him. He looked at the group, before bellowing and swinging his axe at them; they all dodged the swing before getting into positions.

Maria growled, readying her dual-swords, before she charged with Kavar both swinging. Darius and Toraka stayed near the middle of the place, shooting their bullets even as Maki began chanting multiple healing spells, as well as buffs for the group. Sataka stayed beside her, opening her grimoire, the pages flipping rapidly as she sought for the perfect spell. Lilliana strung three arrows before firing them off, staying close to the cliff up on a ledge. Maria jumped away as Titanus swung at her and summoned Saari as well as Sachi, both who knew what to do.

Kavar swung, hitting Titanus's swinging arm and the Overlord roared in pain as his arm leaked blood and he limply held his weapon. _'That should slow him down.'_ Kavar thought smugly, before he ran toward Maria and blocked a punch. "You okay?" Kavar asked with worry and Maria nodded, before she jumped over him, swinging her blades downward on the Overlord. Titanus roared again in pain, before he grabbed Maria as she flipped off his chest. "Maria!" Everyone screamed even as Maggie laughed hysterically. "Kill her!" Maggie shouted, and Titanus squeezed.

"AH!" Maria screamed out, before her eyes widened and her pupils dilated as electricity shot out from her body, escaping through the cracks of Titanus's fingers. _'SHIT! At this rate, not only will the others will learn the truth but she die!'_ Sataka thought and began frantically searching through her book. "What's with the electricity?!" Lilliana screamed in horror, worried Maria might be killed by both. "Maria!" Darius shouted, and shot a few rounds at the hand. One hit the mark, while the other hit Titanus in the head; and the Overlord dropped Maria who Saari caught.

Saari placed her shield before herself and Maria, shielding the woman she swore her allegiance to, and Sachi snapped. "How dare you hurt my Envoy!" Sachi shouted, making Maggie gasp. _'An Envoy?!'_ She thought in shock. _'But…I thought there was only Reinhardt and a younger woman he mentioned. …This girl doesn't resemble the woman he spoke of…unless he didn't know about Maria.'_ Maggie thought, relaying a message to Reinhardt, the Shadow Knight, through her connection to him.

Suddenly a blue light came over the area, even as Victoria and her team arrived and everyone gasped as Saari and Sachi disappeared…the blue light was coming from Maria. Maria looked at Titanus as it went to swing at her with the axe, using his other arm. Maria blocked with one sword, her strength now seemed to have been multiplied by…something. Everyone watched in awe as the blue light got brighter, nearly blinding them as it increased.

Suddenly a blue wave shot from Maria, even as she jumped, glowing blue. "Let the power of Aura Kingdom purge the darkness!" Maria shouted, her eyes glowing gold as she spun vertically, using Whirling Dance. Instead of the purple glow, the glow was blue like the wave that came from her. As her blades shredded Titanus, he gave one last roar…before he disappeared. Maria stood straight, even as the light completely faded, as did the blue glow. She sighed as Sachi appeared, looking concerned and Maria's legs buckled, but Darius dove forward and caught her, smiling.

"Talk about one heck of an attack." Darius joked, earning a laugh from the group, even as Maggie struggled to stand…the wave having hit her. "Maggie!" Victoria shouted, striding past Maria and Darius but not without giving Maria a glance…just how powerful was she? As Victoria listed off the crime's Maggie had done, she then ordered the soldiers to take Maggie to Navea for questioning and trail. Once they were out of sight she sighed, slumped, before walking toward the exhausted group and smile. "Well, you're all quite the team, aren't you?" She said and they smiled sheepishly.

Victoria shook her head amused, before she folded her arms. "We'll take Maggie back to Navea for questioning and trail, in the meantime, why don't you all rest and relax a little. You all certainly need it and when you're done, give this to Belenus." Victoria said tearing a paper from her book and handed it to Kavar. The group left and headed back to Tomista, but this time they were all aware of eye's watching them, so they hurried back to Tomista.

 _'The Shadow Knight…he now knows there is an Envoy out there to stop him.'_ She thought in worry, before sighing sadly. _'So long I have tried to keep her hidden from his sights but now he's aware. I have no choice…the Eidolon's must be alerted!'_ A gold haired woman thought before she disappeared into gold particles, worry heavy within her heart.

 **Next Day, Navea:** Maria exited the Church sighing heavily, both upset and exhausted; she had another fight with Andre and after a long argument between Maria and Andre, Belenus silenced it. Maria was then told she was to be dispatched to Triatio Highlands and Candeo Marsh. She had talked with both officers and was now heading back to the group, relay what she had been told to them, go back to the church, speak of their decision and head out. "Maria, why don't you chose? You are the leader, after all, right?" Sachi questioned her Envoy as they headed back to the Inn. "Be that as it may, I still would like their thoughts on this." Maria explained, continuing toward the Inn.

"Not to mention I have to tell them what we're going up against, what we are to do and all the information the Church has on the area at this time." Maria stated, looking at Sachi exhausted. "Maria…" Sachi trailed off, not too sure what to say. She could see the stress everything was putting on Maria, the young Envoy exhausted and she sighed. She didn't know what she should say or do to get Maria to wind down and get some damn rest! Andre was not helping, it was obvious the Shadow Knight was advancing his plans faster and Sachi couldn't help but feel Maria was going to kill herself at this rate. Suddenly Saari appeared, and picked Maria up. "Wha-what?! S-Saari, what're you-?" Maria was cut off as Saari placed a hand against Maria's head. "Get some sleep…you need it." Saari said, and Maria's eyes closed, falling asleep.

 **Elsewhere:** A man with long white hair, red eyes, and wearing black armor growled as he watched the battle of Demarech Mines play again, a snarl on his lips. Who was the girl and why does she look familiar? She certainly wasn't the woman he had told Maggie about, yet she was working to stop him as well. The man growled one last time before looking away from something and stalked off…he had a job to do.


	11. Triatio Highlands

Maria growled as they walked into Triatio Highlands, looking for Robinson but she was angry, as was Maki. Both girls had recently fought over a stupid decision, in which, in Maki's opinion, was Maria's fault. Maki was complaining, while the girls were in the room, that Maria was getting too close to Darius. When Maria argued that she had no idea what Maki was talking about, Maki slapped her, and then used **Blissful Harmony** on Maria. Sataka and Lilliana had tried to intervene but Maria growled and struck back. Darius, Kavar and Toraka had all entered at that time after hearing Maki's attack and held the two girls back. Toraka asked Sataka and Lilliana what happened while Kavar held Maki back and Darius tried to calm Maria down.

It resulted with Saari coming all and using ice to put everyone to sleep, she was tired and wanted sleep as well. "Geez, it's hot here." Lilliana stated, and Toraka nodded. "I agree, it is rather hot." Toraka agreed, before he noticed Sataka was lagging behind a little. "Hm? Sataka, are you okay?" Toraka asked, walking toward the sorcerer. She looked at him and nodded. "Kind of but this place is definitely going to mess with my mind. The heat will definitely get to me before too long." Sataka said and sighed; unaware of Toraka's smirk.

"I know how to keep your mind off the heat." Toraka said and Sataka blushed, before smacking him. "Pervert!" She huffed and walked off, even as Toraka chuckled. "Smooth Toraka, smooth." Kavar said dully but the gunslinger only laughed more. "Captain Robinson!" Maria shouted, catching everyone's attention as they ran over to talk with the Captain. Captain Robinson looked over and smiled as he finally saw them. "Ah, you must be the group Commander Andre sent, I had word that you all were coming. Maybe you can talk some sense into this man." Robinson said, glaring at Dallan, who glared back.

"Listen, I know you want to help but your soldier's don't know anything about this area. Our hunter's do and I don't want them having to worry about your soldier's getting lost or hurt, while having to deal with the Giant's as well!" Dallan stated firmly and Robinson growled. Maria chuckled nervously as she watched the two bicker…were the Templar's and Hunter's not getting along either? Before Maria could think to interrupt them, she heard a voice shout not too far off. "OH SHUT UP!" A strong, gruff, female's voice shouted before she heard a slam.

Maria and the group jumped as they turned around, only to see a few Templar's and Hunter's back away as a female slammed her axe into the ground and leaned a foot against the blade. "Listen here, I don't know what the problem is but I'll go out a kill each and every single one of those Giants." She stated, before swinging her axe back up, letting it lean against her shoulder. "I'm strong and fast! I can get rid of the problem, easily!" The woman stated proudly, a smirk on her face. A hunter sighed, holding his hands up to stop her. "Listen, we have no doubt that your strong but everyone is to remain in the village until Chief Dallan gives the word to move out!" The hunter stated, laying a hand on the Ravager's shoulder.

Maria looked at the ravage curiously, shocked to see one here. She had reddish/pink hair, red eyes, wearing what looked to be the Lavalord armor, as well as wielding the Lavalord Axe. Exactly how strong was she? Maria saw the girl glare at the Hunter, grab his arm, before flipping him on his back in front of her, the Templar's and Hunter's backing up more. "You're all nothin' but a bunch of cowards!" She said and when none stepped forward to defy her, she growled. "Fine, I'll go and deal with the problem myself!" The woman stated and turned to leave.

Maria growled, feeling angry at this woman's recklessness and ran toward her. "Hold it right there!" Maria shouted, grabbing the girl's wrist, and the woman turned toward her shocked. _'Who the hell is she?!'_ The woman thought, red eyes wide. "What do you think you're doing?! You'll be going out there and possibly get killed, stop being so reckless!" Maria shouted but the girl glared at her. "Do you know who I am?!" Akina demanded, ripping her arm free and turning toward Maria. "I am Akina, the strongest ravager to have ever existed, there is nothing I can't do!" The ravager, Akina, stated proudly, but still glaring at Maria.

"Be that as it may," Maria began, annoyed at this woman's recklessness. "that's just a title! I don't care how strong someone might think they are, one person can't do everything alone!" She stated firmly, and Akina ripped her wrist free from Maria. "Who do you think you are, acting all mighty?!" Akina demanded, eyes harsh. "Listen, I'll take care of the problem out there, you kids should just stay here and let a pro take care of this problem." She said confidently and Lilliana growled, insulted.

"Kid's?!" She demanded, gritting her teeth in anger as she stomped her foot. "Excuse me but we aren't children! We have an Envoy of Gaia with us right here!" Lilliana said and hugged Maria's arm, glaring at Akina. Darius flinched at what his sister said before sighing, was it wrong of her to say that? "Lilliana, that probably wasn't a smart thing to say." Darius said, rubbing his head. Akina glared at the whole group, before her eyes fell on Darius and she gasped, even as he looked at her and gulped. Did they...know each other? _'Shit…it's her!'_ Darius thought, going a little pale. "It's…it's you!" Akina shouted, confusing Maria.

"Darius, do you know her?" Maki asked before Maria could and Akina's face went from shock, to fury. "I'm gonna kill you!" Akina shouted and swung her axe at Darius, who gasped and rolled away. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Toraka intervened, walking toward Akina. "What's going on here?" Toraka asked, trying to grab Akina to stop her. "Stay away from me rich-boy," Akina began, stepping back and holding her axe up once more. "I'm gonna cleave this little cheater here in two!" Akina shouted, before she charged Darius, who grunted as he dodged her swing again. "For the last time, I didn't cheat!" Darius shouted, bringing his cannon out. "Save those words for the grave!" Akina declared, jumping up.

Maria acted quickly, bringing her swords out and blocking Akina's attack, and grunted. The ground around them cracked and broke, even as a dent appeared as the force of the attack hit around Maria. Darius wobbled with the attack, before grabbing Maria and pulling her back, the axe hitting the group. Akina yelped a little in surprise, before she hit the ground and groaned, pushing herself up. "I didn't cheat, you were just being reckless." Darius stated again but she glared at him. "Shut up! I lost the tournament and the title, as well as the money because you cheated in the fight. A Grenadier can't beat a Ravager, it's not possible!" Akina stated, as though it was a fact.

"You cheated and then lost in the finals, gaining third place in the tournament AND losing the title to some pipsqueak. I lost the title because you cheated!" Akina declared and stood, readying her axe again. Before she could swing, Saari appeared and knocked her axe away, even as Sachi froze her feet and Akina gasped. "Wh-what is this?" Akina asked, trying to move her feet. Maria sighed as she stepped forward, sheathing her swords. "I didn't want to do it, but you weren't listening to reason, so let me talk!" Maria stated firmly, even as Saari and Sachi moved to be behind her.

"I don't know anything about this tournament grudge thing but I do know that your acting rather rashly to the whole situation." Maria began, placing her hand on her hips, leaning her weight against one side. "All you seem to know is that the Giants and Hunters are fighting and all you seem to want to do is go out there, solve the problem." Maria said and Akina huffed, crossing her arms. "While I agree with ending the conflict, I don't think violence in the answer. I don't think killing all the Giants is going to help in this situation." Maria explained but Akina growled. "Then what do you think is the right way, huh?" Akina asked, glaring at her.

"You haven't lived here, you haven't endured the hardships these people have had to face. What do you know?!" She demanded, before sweating at seeing Maria's eyes become a molten gold. "I know that violence in your aspect isn't the answer!" Maria shouted and everything shook a little as a blue glow appeared around Maria. She had already gained the attention of everyone at the village from her actions against Akina and the shouting, yet now everyone felt themselves worry for their own safety at the wrath Maria was exhibiting.

"Going out there and trying to kill everything won't make things better, matters will only get worse." Maria stated, glaring at Akina. "You'll die trying to kill everything, believe me, I know first-hand how things like that work out!" Maria shouted as the glow around her became more noticeable. "I don't care how you handle things here but I do know that, while the situation is bad, nothing will get better if you keep rushing in trying to kill something. Violence doesn't do anything good, all it does is bring pain, suffering, sadness and meaningless bloodshed!" Maria stated, before the glow faded but she was still trembling with rage.

Her head lowered as she tried to compose herself, sighing heavily. "Listen…I want to end this war just as much as anyone else but to do that, we don't have to kill anything." Maria said before she lifted her head, looking Akina in the eyes. "I'm positive…no, I know there can be a peaceful arrangement to this all." She said, her eyes returning to their normal golden color. Akina stared, wide-eyed, at the duelist before her, her outburst shocking the ravager and the confidence…where did it all come from? Akina looked at the ground, before she scoffed and crossed her arms stubbornly, eyes kept to the ground.

Maria chuckled, knowing exactly what was going on. "I see…that you're thinking what I just said over. Sachi…release her, please." Maria said to her Eidolon, the pink-haired girl nodding as her staff glowed. The ice around Akina's feet disappeared and her axe was handed to her by Saari who, after giving it back, disappeared. Darius watched a bit warily, before sighing. "I hope…you can set the grudge aside Akina." Darius said as he hesitantly approached her and Akina growled. "All I want to know is how you defeated me, that's it." Akina commented, before looking to the ground. "I've never fought a Grenadier and lost against them, except you." Akina said, laying her axe across her shoulders.

Maria was looking away as they exchanged words, before she tilted her head to the sky. "Some people…can overcome anything…if they have someone to protect, someone who relies on them, trusts them." Maria said, before she turned around to face Akina again, a smile slowly overcoming her face. "If a human has someone or something to protect, then they can surpass their own limits." Maria said as Sachi come to her side, smiling up at her. "We all have something to protect, one way or another and we surpass our limits when it comes to protecting it. We grow stronger than anything else if there is something, or someone, to protect." Maria said, rubbing Sachi's head and Darius smiled at Maria before smiling at Akina.

"That's how it was with me, I had someone to protect…my little sister, Lilliana." Darius said, smiling at his little sister, who smiled back up to him. Akina seemed shocked…protecting something made someone stronger? She didn't understand it…but then again, having grew up without anyone to rely on but herself, or someone relying on her…she never really understood that. Without her parents there, she hadn't gotten to know what growing up with something to protect was like, if it really did get someone stronger. Maria turned around before nodding, putting her attention back on her teammates.

"Maki, Darius, Lilliana, Kavar, let's go!" Maria said and Akina looked at her as two blonde haired people ran off. "Sataka and Toraka found someone who could use our help, so let's go and see what we can do." Maria said and the four nodded but Akina stopped them. "Wait, let me come along!" Akina shouted and Maria turned toward her. "E-Excuse me?" She asked shocked, not sure she heard right. Akina walked closer to her, laying her arms over the handle on her axe. "Let me come along with you, I might be able to offer some assistance," Akina said before glancing to the wasteland outside the village. "and you don't know these land's like I do." Akina said, yet Kavar rose a brow, confused.

"What's with the sudden offer?" Kavar asked warily, not sure if the girl was a friend or foe. Akina shrugged, not sure herself yet she gave a grin. "Well, I get the feeling if I travel with you all, I may just figure out what it means to truly get stronger." She said before removing her axe from her shoulders, strapping it to her back. "I've never really had anything to protect and I'd like to see where everyone's strength comes from. Maybe, I can find out what it is I'm truly missing in this life." Akina said before she looked at Darius.

"But I still want a rematch with you." Akina said jokingly and Darius laughed, finally easing up around her. _**"Maria, let her come along…we may need her help throughout this journey."**_ The voice of Saari sounded in Maria's mind and she smiled. "Well, if you really wanna come along, then that's fine by me." Maria said and held out a hand to shake. "Welcome to the team." Maria said, smiling at the ravage, even as Akina smiled back and shook her hand. "Happy to join, if I may say." Akina said, keeping her shock to herself. _'Just a simple hand-shake, yet so much power behind it. Just who is this girl?'_ Akina thought and followed them to meet up with their blonde-haired companion's.

 **A Week Later:** Maria gasped for breath as she hit the ground, trying to regain her breathing right; the others crowded around her in worry. They had joined up with the Hunter's to try and fight back against the Giants but the battle was going nowhere. When Maria had tried to talk some sense into the Giants, one hit her with a hammer, effectively breaking a few ribs and causing massive breathing problems. They had retreated back to Tanner Jones, who they had teamed up with yesterday to try and beat the Giants and gain respect...it went downhill from there.

It didn't help that Maki and Maria couldn't cooperate on anything, both stating that they were right…and it especially didn't help that Maki was refusing to heal Maria. "Maki, do something!" Lilliana shouted to the cream/brown haired Bard. "She got herself in this mess, she can get herself out of it!" Maki stated scornfully; she didn't like Maria at all. Akina stood up from kneeling beside Maria, red eyes harsh toward Maki. "You little-!" Akina raised her axe threateningly but stopped as she heard Maria's coughing response. "I'll be okay, don't worry about me." Maria said weakly but Darius looked unconvinced, as did Kavar.

Darius had been the one to grab Maria and carry her back, trying his best not to jostle her much as they retreated back to camp; the others had formed a circle to protect the two as they headed back. Maria tried to give a reassuring smile but her eyes widened as she felt something crack a bit more; she coughed harshly, blood spilling onto the ground before her. Darius wrapped his arms around her shoulders, letting her lean against him. "Damn it, I really didn't want to do this unless everyone was hurt." Sataka growled out and stood, letting her grimoire float before her.

She found what she was looking for, before she closed her eyes and chanted her **Rejuvenation Mantra** ; a pink circle appeared under the group, before they felt themselves completely refreshed. Though they did cringe as they heard several bones snap into place from Maria, seeing as even she groaned out in pain, clutching her left side. "Sataka…" Darius said worriedly but his Aunt just smiled at them. "Don't worry, I don't mind doing something like that for our Envoy…especially if a certain Bard can't do her job!" Sataka's voice went venomous during her pause, looking at Maki.

"Excuse me?!" Maki shouted, offended. Sataka scoffed, surprised she was acting offended. "You should be helping us, not complaining about healing one party member! Especially when that party member is not only our leader but also our friend, ally, considered family and our ENVOY!" Sataka shouted, purple eyes burning with rage. Akina watched the two bicker, before she knelt once again, helping Maria lay down; the young girl wincing a little, before she stood and approached Kavar. "Kavar, think we should go a finish the mission with Sataka?" She asked the Guardian, who turned to look at her.

"I'd like it if Tanner could get the weapons to figure a way to deal with the Giants." Akina said and Kavar nodded, agreeing. "Yeah, I think we should, it'd be the best course of action." He agreed, before looking at Maria. "We can have Lilliana and Darius stay here and look over Maria; while me, you, Sataka, Maki and Toraka go and deal with the rest." He said before turning to look at the Gunslinger trying to stop Maki and Sataka from fighting. "Having Toraka would help and I think it's a good idea to keep Maki from Maria for a while." Kavar said and Akina nodded, grabbing her axe.

"I agree, I'll get Sataka and Maki; while you get Toraka. Also, tell Darius and Lilliana what we're doing." Akina said and ran toward the two bickering girls. Kavar sighed and watched as Toraka stepped back as Akina got the two girls to stop their bickering. "Toraka, come here real quick!" Kavar called out and Toraka turned toward him, walking over. "What's up?" He asked, looking confused. "We're gonna go ahead with our plan," Kavar said as he looked behind them toward the road, "seeing as Tanner needs those weapons, we're gonna complete the mission." He said before looking at Maria.

"Darius and Lilliana are going to stay here with Maria, help her recover and watch over her. She needs the rest." He stated and Toraka nodded. "Sounds logically, since we're bringing Maki along as well, that'll keep her away from Maria for a little bit." He commented and Kavar nodded. Kavar nodded before they all gathered together, Sataka explaining everything to Darius and Lilliana, before she regrouped with the others. Maria noticed and winced. "Hey, where are you all going?" Maria asked, trying to sit up but whimpered in pain a little. Akina looked over worried, even as Darius and Lilliana had her lay back down.

"We're gonna go finish the request real quick, that way Tanner doesn't wait; but you are to stay here with Lilliana and Darius, okay?" Akina questioned and knelt to Maria, handing Lilliana what looked to be medicine. "We'll be back as soon as possible." Akina said to Maria but Maria stuttered, protesting. "W-wait, we n-need to work together, a-as a team!" Maria said, worry obvious within her gold eyes. "Hey, don't worry about us, we'll be fine." Akina said but Maria shook her head. "Hold on." Maria said before closing her eyes. "Saari!" Maria called her other Eidolon out, who looked at Maria, awaiting commands.

"Go with Akina, and the others, I want them to be safe." Maria said and Saari nodded, a soft smile on her face. Akina flushed a little, awed at Maria's worry for the team. "M-Maria, we'll be fine." Akina said, cursing herself for stuttering. "I-I know…but I want Saari to go along, I don't want another mishap like this." Maria said, pointing to her side and Akina smiled with a nod; she understood.

 **Week Later:** Maria finished off the Dimetrodon before her, then looked at the others as they finished theirs off. After they had helped Tanner make peace with the Giant's, they had been asked by him to see what the fighting was up in the north. As a result, they had found the missing Roger Jones and had helped him heal up; as well as having meet an Eidolon. Maria shivered as she remembered her, specifically, being attacked by the Eidolon. The others had wanted to help but the dark barrier prevented them from interfering; though Maria and Sachi had done well by defeating the Eidolon, who stated his name was Eligos.

Saari had checked the girl's over after the barrier disappeared, for she protected the group should the Eidolon attack them. "You all okay?" Maria asked as she walked toward them, looking concerned. "We'll be okay, stop worrying so much." Darius said, smiling at her and she blushed, before looking away. "You idiot…I will worry because sometimes, you mister," Maria said, poking his chest with a pout. "are reckless." Maria retorted and he chuckled at her reaction. Maki growled and was about the strum her harp but a harsh grip on her wrist stopped her; she paled as she looked at Akina, who was glaring at her.

Akina shook her head and Maki scoffed, ripping her arm free; before Maria walked toward her and smiled. "Thanks for the buff Maki, we needed it for these things." Maria said and Maki seemed shocked, before she chuckled. "Of course, as I said before, I knew you would need me." Maki said, flipping some of her hair back and Maria smiled, before the group continued on. As they needed where they found Puckett, Maria felt the Cube of Gaia's power and froze…eyes wide. The others noticed, before they turned toward her, realizing her shocked expression.

Sachi felt it as well and turned toward Maria, worried. "Maria, there's another-!" Sachi didn't get to finish as a ball of dark energy hit her in the back. "AH!" Sachi got blown away and Maria gasped, jumping toward her, as well as avoiding a blast of dark power. "What the-?!" Kavar grunted as he blocked a blast as well, before they looked around and saw Eligos floating above them. Eligos hummed a little, unamused. "Hm…a little slow in reacting Maria, you should know never to freeze when you feel a familiar power." Eligos said, before they heard a woman shout. "Eligos, enough! Where were you?" A woman asked, a mature voice that held some magical power behind it as Eligos floated down.

Maria helped Sachi up, before looking over and seeing a woman with long blue hair to her waist, red eyes, wearing a purple and black outfit that covered her whole torso; with a crisscross belt that had a skirt attached to it. "Who are you?" Darius ordered, anger obvious within his voice and the woman looked at him, scoffing. She flipped some of her dark blue hair back, staring at them all curiously. "Well, you're rather friendly aren't you?" She asked sarcastically, making Darius growl. "My name is Maya, if you must know." She said before waving her hand, annoyed.

"I have no interest in you…but you now," The woman said, looking at Maria. "I never thought to see another Envoy." She said and walked toward Maria as she stood. "Hm, aren't you all the one's poking around Deep's cavern?" The woman, Maya asked and they nodded, making her smiled. "Perfect!" She said suddenly, making them worry. "Then I need a little help." She said and that's when Toraka held a hand up. "And why should we help you when you attacked us?" He asked and Maya smiled, smart man. "I was seeing how quick your Envoy was in reacting, a little slow but overall powerful." She said as she glanced at Maria, who slowly relaxed.

Toraka seemed unconvinced but relaxed as well, which allowed the others to relax and she gave a mysterious smile. "You see, the barrier around Deep's Cavern is actually a lost spell the Avian's casted to keep anyone from entering. But you see, 'lost spells' are my expertise." Maya said, before she walked past the group and sat on a rock. Lilliana seemed hopeful, smiling at her as she turned to keep her in her sights. "Really? Then, do you think you can help us remove it?" Lilliana asked, smiling cheerfully…she was unaware of this girl's true plan. "Well…I would, but I have a little favor first, as I said earlier." Maya said and snapped her fingers, as Eligos nodded.

He placed his hands together and showed a variety of items within his hands…all ghostly as they weren't actually there. "The Avian's stole my magical items when I was…otherwise occupied and ran off with them." She said before she glared at the base. "I came here and tried asking nicely…but they attacked me. I haven't done anything to them, so what's the big deal?!" Maya shouted angrily and they backed up as sparks shot off in areas.

 _'This girl…her magical power is astonishing, and her Gaian power…while it's weaker than mine, she still has Eligos's trust.'_ Maria thought before she felt troubled. _'Why does this bother me? I don't know Eligos…do I?'_ Maria thought and looked at the Eidolon, realizing he was looking at her. "Alright, we'll get your items, as long as you help us with the barrier." Sataka stated and Maya grinned. "Alright then, it's a deal!" Maya said, her red eyes showing glee.

 **Few Days Later:** Maria handed Maya the codex she was looking for and Maya flipped through it, looking happy. They had fought Zujahla and had received the Codex from him, before making a hasty retreat before the rest of the Avian's decided to kill them. Maya's smile slowly turned to a frown, even as she growled as she threw it to the ground in frustration. "Nothing but a bunch of junk! Where are the spells? The forbidden tomes, the barrier spell?!" Maya shouted, before sighing and picking it up again. "There's got to be something in here about that spell surrounding the barrier." Maya said, before green lettering showed up on a blank page.

Looking up, she saw Sataka wobble, her grimoire falling to the ground; catching everyone's attention. "Aunt Sataka, are you alright?" Lilliana asked and helped her get steady; she nodded. "Y-yeah, I just casted a locating spell. Hopefully that helps." Sataka said, looking at Maya with unsteady eyes and Maya chuckled. "It helped more than you know, so…got it!" Maya began chanting and swirl of dark energy flowed through her, before her hands flashed purple and she smiled. "Done, the barrier around Deep's Cavern is gone." Maya said and the group stared at her in disbelief. "Seriously? That all seemed a little too easy." Toraka stated warily and Maya huffed.

"If you don't believe me, got and check it out yourself. Just don't forget the deal we made." Maya said and the group nodded, running off, unaware the woman disappeared with Eligos. They finally got to Deep's Cavern and ran toward the entrance, before they stopped before it; staring wide eyed at the entrance. The barrier…it really was gone, Maya really did remove it! "Maria, you okay?" Kavar asked, coming up beside her, placing a hand against her left side. "Yeah…I'll be okay." Maria said, nodding and Kavar removed his hand.

Maria turned toward the group, gaze determined. "Alright everyone, we're about to head inside Deep's Cavern. We'll stick together and keep our formation the same." Maria said before she looked at the Bard. "Maki, we'll form a circle around you; keeping you safe so you can buff us and heal our wounds. Sataka, you and Lilliana will be on the sides, getting enemies at far range but keep them close." Maria said before looking at the Ravager. "Akina, you and Kavar will be closer to the front, while Darius and Toraka will stay near the back. I'll be leading the group into the fray with Sachi beside me and we'll attack enemies; so those we don't finish Kavar, Akina make sure they don't live!" Maria commanded as she walked back and forth in front of them.

Everyone nodded and Maria smiled, glad to see they were as determined to finish everything here as she was. The group formed their circle as ordered and Maria took her place before the group, she glowed blue as they entered. Upon entering they heard fighting up ahead and saw the soldier's fighting off what looked to be Avian's. "Maria!" A man called and Maria saw it was Robinson. "Captain Robinson, what's going on?" Maria asked as they ran toward him, yet he growled. "Well, we found out where the demon, Argus, was at but before we went in, this woman barged in and nearly ruined our plan…said she knew you." Robinson said, pointing to Maya who smirked, shocking the others that she was there.

"Maya, how'd you get here?" Maria asked and Maya laughed. "I'm a spell caster, don't forget. Also, remember the deal you made Maria." Maya said, wiggling a finger and Maria nodded. She explained everything to Robinson, who apologized but Maya's words about transformation scared them. As the group ran in, Maya stopped them. "Maria, the one you're after, for me at least, is Zuanna. He's the one who took my stuff, so make sure you kill him." Maya said and Maria nodded, the group running off.

 **Navea:** Maria gave her report to the Grand Bishop and he smiled at Maria, happy to hear how well she was doing. "I'm glad to know things have died down there, though I'm much happier to hear that the Giants and Hunters have made peace. The Avian's though…" Belenus hummed, rubbing his chin. "what they saw and did, it clearly shows that the Shadow Knight has clearly learned how to make living things out of ordinary items." Belenus said and Maria nodded. "Yeah…fighting Argus was not fun." Maria said, rubbing her shoulder and the group all winced…Argus had seriously hurt Maria. "And you meet another Envoy as well, that's surprising." Belenus said and Maria nodded, though she had a slight frown.

"Yeah, though I didn't like how well she fooled and manipulated us." Maria commented sourly and Belenus nodded. "Yes, some sorcerer's are able to do that but it seems through her, you were able to stop a demon from running amok." Belenus said and Maria sighed, rubbing her head. "Yes, she did help…I guess." Maria said and after Belenus asked if Candeo Marsh was next, they nodded and left but Gus stopped Maria. "Maria, wait!" Gus said and when Maria stopped, he handed her a letter. "We got this letter a while ago, Anya sent it to us asking if you knew the person. She's actually in Candeo Marsh at the moment, helping with the investigation." Gus said and Maria took the letter.

She looked it over curiously, the big yellow folder was slightly heavy. "Never seen one like this before, it's not one from Skandia, Helonia, Crescent Hill or even Cactakara Forest." Maria said but thanked Gus and left, opening the letter as she stopped outside the doors. "Oh my god…" Maria said, watching as letters fell to the ground, and dropped to her knees. "What...is this?" Maria asked herself, shock in her eyes. The picture's were all of her walking around Navea, of her around Triatio Highlands, within Demarech Mines and helping at Cactakara Forest.

"Maria…" Saari said softly as she appeared, hugging Maria as tears fell down the young Envoy's face. Sachi watched with worry before she looked at the pictures, wondering what to do. "Maria…what do we do?" Sachi asked, worried and Maria took a deep breath before looking at Sachi. "W-we stay more alert." She said as she wiped her tears away, another thought soon coming to mind. "And we can't let the others know about this, or we may never get things done." Maria said as she stood, slowly composing herself.

"You know how Darius is with me, he worries too much about me. This is to remain a secret between us." Maria said and Sachi nodded; they gathered everything up and headed to the inn, unaware of someone watching them. "Things are getting more dangerous, but as long as you remain strong, Maria, you will overcome anything." The woman said before clasping her hands together. "Eidolon's, another is after the girl's life, we must stay vigilant in our efforts to keep her safe." The woman said, glowing blue before she disappeared into gold particles.


	12. Candeo Marsh

Maria and the others entered Candeo Marsh through the portal after having been told what was going on. Lilliana had freaked out about bandit's and Maki looked sick at the idea of corpses being found, even Sataka shivered at the mention of blood being drained from the corpses. They entered the village and Maria looked around, trying to spot a certain someone. "Okay, so where is-!" Maria was cut off as voice called her. "Maria!" A female's voice called and Maria smiled, she knew that voice! "Anya!" Maria shouted and ran toward the red haired Templar, hugging her which caused Anya to laugh, shocking the soldier's with Anya.

"Hahaha, it's good to see you again!" Anya stated and Maria smiled happily at her. "It's good to see you as well, I forgot that you got dispatched here." Maria said and Anya shrugged, still smiling. "Well, Belenus said I'd do more good here, so he asked me to come here." Anya said and Maria smiled; she was glad to know Anya was here to help out. Anya seemed to keep her smile as she looked over Maria. "Well, let me get a good look at you. Seems like Triatio Highlands toughen you up, you look more battle seasoned, more mature." Anya grinned at Maria. "Hahaha, glad to see it!" Anya said and Maria smiled, blushing a little.

"Hello Commander Anya, been a while." Kavar said and Anya nodded, smiling at the group. "It has, have you all kept Maria out of trouble?" Anya teased and Maria blushed embarrassed, yet the group paled. Anya noticed the change and slowly showed worry. "What happened?" Anya asked, voice slightly panicked. Akina began to fidget as she started talking. "Well…she…did get hurt…really bad." She said, rubbing her wrists. "You're new to the group, but what do you mean?" Anya asked, worry in her red eyes.

"She got hit by one of the Giants and it broke a few ribs, as well as creating some breathing problems. But she's alright from those wounds, she'll heal; but it's what Argus did that scared us." Toraka stated, rubbing his neck. "What happened?!" Anya demanded, and Maria flinched. Darius flinched as well and stuttered a little before sighing. "Argus did some hefty damage, nearly tearing an arm off and if it hadn't been for Maki," He looked at Maria worried. "she would've died." Darius said, laying a hand on Maria's shoulder.

Maria sighed as Anya's face became one of rage. "Maria, what have I told you about being reckless in battle?!" She scolded the duelist and everyone jumped, even the soldier's and they caught the attention of some of the villagers. "I know you must've done something wrong while fighting Argus, but are you okay?" Anya asked and pulled Maria to her, seeing that Maria was hiding part of her arm. "I see." Anya said softly to where only Maria heard and she looked at Maria, nodding who sighed once more. Anya looked at the others, keeping Maria near her.

"I want you all to meet Templar Alex; as he's been working with the investigation for a while now, he knows more than anyone else. He's fill you in on the details, I'll bring Maria back after I finish talking with her." Anya said and walked off with Maria, the group left to do as Anya suggested…but Kavar hummed. He didn't want Anya to bed mad at him later but he felt Maria was hiding something. Ever since Maria got back from her meeting with Belenus, she'd been distant and her wounds were nothing that he'd think was normal. Sometimes, he saw sparks of electricity coming from her wounded arms or legs; he just knew that wasn't normal! Sighing, he followed the way Anya and Maria went, intent on getting answers.

 **With Anya and Maria:** Maria sat on the bed in the house Anya was using. Maria was fidgeting with her gloves as Anya got everything she needed, before she sat beside Maria and opened her first-aid kit. "Alright, let me see your arms." Anya said and Maria held her arms out as Anya removed the gloves, quickly noticing the multiple scars lining her arms. Anya felt sick from just looking at them; she may be a Templar but Maria was a little sister to her. Seeing this...it made her sick. "Oh Gaia Maria, you should know to look at your arms all the time. Robotic things, mixed with organic tissue doesn't usually work well." Anya said, unaware someone was at the door listening.

"I know but…" Maria trailed off with a heavy sigh. "I just forget things." Maria said as Anya began wrapping her arm, being careful of how tight the bandage was. "Has anyone seen the sparks?" Anya questioned, glancing up briefly but not stopping. "Usually your wounds give off sparks if they stay open too long at the arms and legs." She stated yet Maria shrugged, unsure. "I don't know…maybe, but I've been really careful." Maria said, before she looked at the letter she had, wondering if she had been careful enough. "Well, don't be too careful." Anya said before moving to the other arm.

"Your group may get suspicious and ask what's been going on. And as far as I'm concerned, that's a bottle you're not ready to open just yet." Anya said and Maria nodded, expression guarded. "It's not." Maria agreed as Anya finished, who looked at the letter. "So, what's going on? Do you know the person?" Anya asked and Maria yet Maria shook her head 'no', grabbing the letter. "Someone's been following me and the group." Maria said as she opened the letter, pulling a picture out.

"There are a ton of pictures in this letter about everywhere I've been, even at Triatio Highlands. The actual note said 'I'm watching you, waiting to strike' but the rest are just pictures." Maria said and Anya nodded, humming a little in worry. "I see…I'll tell the soldiers to keep an eye on suspicious people," Anya stated before Maria put the picture back in the file. "I'll also tell them to be on alert for anyone following you." Anya said and Maria nodded, when suddenly the door opened. "I knew it…I knew that something was up." A male said and the two gasped as they saw Kavar enter.

 **Next Day:** Maria sighed after leaving Alex, walking across the bridge. Alex was…interesting, seemed a little on the goofy side but overall he seemed to like Maria…unlike Andre. Even though he said Andre just acts the way he does, he said Andre did rely on Maria; Maria still couldn't shake the feeling that something terribly wrong was going to happen between her and Andre. Maki came up beside the group, looking over the requests they were given. "Alright, so we are to get some bat teeth, collect soil samples and see if they match the molds Penny has, then see if the bats are related to the crime, right?" Maki asked and Akina nodded, grinning.

"Yep! Oh man, this is gonna be so much fun!" Akina exclaimed gleefully, worrying the group slightly. "I just can't wait for my axe to slash through one of them little bats." Akina said but upon getting to the site, the whole group gulped. Darius looked at Akina, who was beside him, his eyes wide as he gulped. "They…uh…they aren't small Akina." Darius said and Akina chuckled nervously. "No…they ain't small." She repeated before trying to compose herself and not seemed unnerved. "Their about…average?" Akina questioned, not sure how the assess the situation.

Lilliana paled more than the others and whimpered, standing next to Maria. "Let's get this over with, I don't wanna be here any longer!" She whined, flailing her arms comically and Maria nodded. "I second that, let's do this!" Maria ordered, she glowed blue and charged in, the others not far behind. The group had been making excellent progress in Candeo Marsh, helping the researchers and some of the villagers out with things that was needed. After a week had passed, Maria and her group were asked to try and find Mark, a group Alex had sent into the forest to survey the surroundings.

Maria groaned as they went to see Mark and his group, having been sent by Alex and Anya to check on them. She didn't like Candeo anymore; the bats, the crocodiles, the spider's, everything was just too much! "I hate this place." Maria complained and Kavar nodded beside her. "Messing with anything?" He whispered but she shook her head. Ever since he barged in on Anya's and Maria's conversation, he had learned the truth and had been quite angry that she had lied to them all. Though, after a brief explanation of why, he understood. She was afraid everyone would hate her because she wasn't, fully, human anymore.

Ever since B.A.T removed her human arms and legs, and replaced them with robotic limbs to keep her alive, she stated whenever someone learned the truth, they began to fear her. He asked where did they get such technology but after Maria reminded him about the Cube of Gaia fragment he found in a report, he realized…they used the fragment to make them the most powerful facility in Terra. But since learning the truth, he had been beside Maria twenty-four-seven; it was obvious Darius extremely angry but Kavar seemed to love being beside Maria, sometimes going so far as hugging and flirting with her. She was uncomfortable but she tried to ignore it…though it was hard. Kavar was the only one, aside from Sataka, who knew her secret so she put up with it. Though sometimes she had to use Saari to get him to stop.

"Halt there!" A soldier shouted and the group jumped as they realized they had found to group. Another man, one who seemed to be in charge growled. "Calm down Mark, are you trying to scare them to death?! Sure scared the damn turtles!" The leader scolded Mark sighed, obviously on edge. Maria decided to quickly ease the tension by walking closer. "Are you Mark?" She asked, the others on lookout. "Yeah, I'm him. May I ask who you are?" Mark asked and Maria introduced herself and the others, then explained why they were there.

Mark showed relief at knowing why they were there. "Phew, I'm glad Alex sent reinforcements." He said gratefully, before looking at the surroundings. "As you can see, we were trying to head deeper into the forest to try and find the Corpser Bandit's. We thought the turtles were pretty docile…" He trailed off before his expression went flat. "given the moment they saw us and attacked… **we're** pretty sure we were wrong." Mark stated, dragging 'we're' out a little. "We're trying to get any evidence, as well as find out what the bats are doing so close by." Mark said and pointed further into the forest.

Maria gasped as she realized how close the Bats truly were, Sachi came up beside her, before she narrowed her eyes, something was up. "The bats…they looked like their domesticated." She said, realizing how the battles weren't attacking anything currently. "It seems to be they are released here in order to sharpen their hunting skills." Sachi said and Henry seemed shocked. "Are you Maria's Eidolon?" He asked and she nodded, confused...was that excitement in his voice? "Maria must be amazing to have such a smart Eidolon!" Henry stated, excited; causing Maria to laugh and Sachi to sweat nervously...he was excited.

"He gets like this a lot, believe me." Mark whispered to Kavar, who smacked his forehead. "Why did they send Henry, of all Templars, out here?" He asked and Mark shrugged. "He was born in Candeo Marsh, he knows this place like the back of his hand." Mark stated and Kavar simply groaned.

 **Few Days Later:** Maria sighed as she headed deeper, alone, by herself; intent on getting rid of the bats near Candentonn, so the resident's would be safer. Darius and the others had been ordered to take care of other tasks, so she was alone at the moment. She had just taken care of a good deal of Bats, when suddenly a voice entered her mind. _**"I think you've caused enough of a ruckus, don't you think?"**_ The voice said and Maria felt a familiar feeling, the power of the Cube of Gaia. "Behind you." A friendly voice said and Maria turned around, seeing a woman in pure white, even her hair was white.

She was wearing white robes, with a white winged staff in one hand; her long hair went to her knees; she had red eyes that showed both interest and friendliness. She smiled sweetly at Maria and motioned her over, in which Maria looked at Sachi. "She's an Envoy of Gaia as well, we might as well see her. Seems like we're done here." Sachi explained and Maria nodded, going toward the woman. "Who are you?" Maria asked, awed by this woman's friendly aura. "My name is Mia, the left winged butterfly." The woman, Mia, greeted with a bow. "I must say, taking care of those bats certainly showed your fighting skills, I was impressed." She praised; making Maria blush.

"T-thanks, having survived in the wild with only Sachi at my side, then joining the Church, I've learned quite a few things." Maria said, rubbing her neck and Mia looked at Sachi. Mia's eyes widened as she smiled a bit more at seeing Sachi. "Oh my, what an interesting Eidolon." Mia said, kneeling down to Sachi. "I've never seen one like you before, you must be a…sylph? Correct?" Mia asked and Sachi nodded, blushing. Mia smiled more before standing back up again, turning to look at Maria. "Seeing you two working together so well…I was wondering, would like to help me?" She asked, before looking toward the bandit camp. "I've been watching the Corpser bandit's for a while and was wondering if you wanted to help me." Mia said smiling and Maria thought, before giving a nod; the girl seemed nice enough.

 **Nighttime-Candentonn:** Anya paced back and forth, worry all over her face; panic slowly rising in her heart. Where was Maria? She should've been back by now! The others watched in silent shock as Anya paced anxiously, talked to herself, came up with ludicrous outcomes at to what happened to Maria and overall...just panicked. "ARGH! I can't take it anymore! Where in Terra's name is Maria, she should be back by now!" Anya shouted, throwing her shield against the ground, breaking it. "Aw man, that was a nice shield too." Akina commented, a frown on her face.

"Stop worrying Anya, I'm fine." A voice said from behind the red-haired Templar, effectively making Anya jump and give a small yelp. "AH!" Anya whipped to the right, seeing Maria standing there; hands on hips, tapping a foot. The others were relieved to see Maria, when Anya hurried over to her. "Maria, what happened out there?!" Anya demanded, panic in her voice. "Mark and your group told me you headed deeper into the forest yesterday, and-!" Anya stopped herself to compose herself and sighed. "W-well, I thought…I thought maybe we lost you." Anya stated, blushing slightly in embarrassment.

She didn't mean to sound like a weakling but she was extremely worried about Maria's safety, though that wasn't uncommon as others knew how close the two were. After Maria explained what she did, excluding a certain white-haired maiden, Maria handed Anya a bag. "You did that all by yourself, using the bats against the bandit's?" Anya questioned, before beaming with pride. "Ha, should've thought of that before." Anya praised Maria, who soon stated she got the idea from her Eidolon's, though the others sighed...she was hiding something.

Anya read one of the letters, before her eyes widened and her face slowly turned furious. She turned to a guard and grabbed his collar tightly. "You, get two others and arrest Will! We have a traitor on our hands!" Anya said and the soldier saluted, before leaving with two others. "W-what?" Maria questioned and Anya handed the letter to Maria. "Will, who is related to Susanna, has been cooperating with the Corpser Bandit's. We'll find out why once he gets to Navea for questioning." Anya explained as Maria read the letter.

 **Week Later:** Things had been going alright so far but reports and results were coming in a little slower than originally thought. Maria and her group had already been in Candeo Marsh for a month, plus one week, unlike Triatio Highlands as they were there for a month. Maria nodded to Anya as she went to tell Alex what they found out. "Alex." Maria said grabbing the Templar's attention. Her group was out scouting the perimeter at the moment, making sure nothing out of the ordinary happened; which left Maria, Sachi and Saari alone. "Yes?" He questioned and she relayed what she had been told to Alex.

"Apparently the reason for the advanced growth and mutation of the marsh is due to the Cube of Gaia, which means the Shadow Knight-!" Maria was cut off as Alex quickly spoke. "The Shadow Knight?!" He suddenly exclaimed, shocking her. "I have to find him and figure out what's going on!" Alex quickly stated but Maria stopped him. "Alex, Anya said you are not to leave until she gets here!" Maria said and Alex growled. "So what, I'm supposed to just sit idly by while I wait for order's?!" He shouted and Maria almost flinched, before he looked away in anger. "Tch, I guess Anya is in charge." Alex stated bitterly, cutting off his words with a bite.

Maria, this time, did flinch at his tone; he was obviously not happy about having to take these orders from Anya. Suddenly Alex looked up sharply, as though he realized something and grabbed Maria by the shoulders. "Maria, can you do me a favor?" Alex asked and Maria nodded, confused at his sudden change. "Can you take some of the soldier's to the marsh and find out what's going on?" He asked, letting her shoulders go and she hummed. "I would really like to find the Shadow Knight before anything else happens!" Alex stated, and Maria sighed.

She really shouldn't...really, really shouldn't...but it didn't interfere with what Anya asked. "Well…" She hesitated but seeing the pleading look on Alex's face, she gave it. "Well, it doesn't interfere with Anya's orders, so yeah, I'll do it." Maria said and after they got a few soldiers, she left with them to the Marsh, even as Alex sighed in relief.

 **Later:** Maria panted and gasped for breath, even as her, Saari and Sachi carried the soldier's they brought back to Candentonn. Upon entering, Penny saw them before she screamed in horror at their condition. Each of them were bleeding, even Maria as she fell to her knees before Penny. "Oh my Terra, Maria what happened?!" Penny screamed, catching everyone's attention. "The Sarpa it was…an ambush…a trap…" Maria collapsed, going limp in Penny's arms as she caught her. "Maria? Maria?!" Penny screamed, causing Alex, Anya and Maria's group to come running, even as Saari and Sachi disappeared…both needing rest.

"Oh my Gaia, what happened?!" Anya shouted, horror on her face. Maria's armor was torn in multiple places, piece's falling off here and there; she was paler than a normal human. She had multiple scars lining her body, when suddenly a soldier struggled to stand. "What happened?" Alex asked, helping the soldier. "We went to the marsh as requested, when suddenly the Sarpa Leader and two of her guards confronted us." He began, wincing in pain. "She said a strange human granted them power with a weird cube, when suddenly venomous arachnids came from the ground and attacked us, spitting out miasma." He coughed, doubling over in pain a little, but continued.

"Maria tried to protect us from the spider's but was attacked herself by a human, a brawler. He wounded Maria but the miasma forced him to retreat, yet Maria's wounds were infected from the marsh land, the spiders, and the miasma. She, along with her Eidolon's dragged us back here to be safer…she needs immediate attention!" The guard said, before he fainted and Alex looked at Maria worried…she risked her life for soldier's she didn't even know. Anya growled with rage, before glaring at Alex and exploding on him.

"Alex, what have I told you?! You need to keep your cool in the heat of the moment, and stay calm! Now, because of you, Maria might die!" Anya shouted, tears prickling her eyes at the thought of seeing Maria dead. "She still has time but it's limited. We need waterweed and lots of it!" Penny said, when suddenly a gold light fell over them. _**"There will be no need for that."**_ A female's voice spoke softly. Suddenly a woman wearing red, white and gold armor appeared, long blonde hair reaching her waist, bright blue eyes, holding a small lance and shield. The weapons disappeared as she knelt beside Maria, who had her head on Penny's lap.

The woman placed her lips to Maria's forehead and suddenly they both glowed bright blue. Maria began to regain her color, her breathing less ragged and harsh and she didn't look so pained anymore. When the glow faded, the woman opened her eyes and smiled at Maria, stroking a cheek. "She will be fine, I have dispelled the poison within Maria. All she needs is rest, and she'll be fine." The woman said and stood. "Thank you." Penny said in awe, the others were speechless. "It can't be…Goddess Astraea?" Saari asked as she reappeared with Sachi, both looking at her shocked and she nodded. "Yes, it is I. How have you been Saari and Sachi?" Astraea questioned the two and they smiled, giving her their answer.

"Thank you, for saving Maria." Darius said, bowing to Astraea. Astraea looked at him, before humming and walked toward him, before she lifted his face. He watched her nervously…what was she doing? Astraea circled him, before she smiled at him. "I see, you are Maria's protector, correct?" Astraea questioned and he blushed. "W-we all protect Maria." Darius said, looking at the others. Astraea giggled a little, the boy was so naive. "I know but you protect her more than anyone else; even going so far as to threaten a Commander." Astraea said and gave a knowing smile, and he gulped…he was in for hell, he was sure of it.

Suddenly Maria stirred and Astraea knelt to her again, even asked Penny if she would hold her. Penny seemed shocked but nodded, allowing Astraea to hold the waking Envoy. Astraea wrapped one arm around the waist, the other supporting Maria's back and head. Maria opened her gold eyes and looked around, before she saw Astraea…and her eyes widened…why did she look familiar? "How are you feeling?" Astraea asked, even as Saari and Sachi both knelt to be beside Maria. Maria didn't respond and instead lifted a hand to touch Astraea, her hand resting on Astraea cheek, who seemed shocked. Did Maria…know who she was?

"I've…seen you before…somewhere. Who…are you?" Maria asked but went unconscious again and Astraea sighed…she was still weakened. "She needs rest, can you all take her to get some?" Astraea asked and Anya nodded, standing. "Yes, may I see her?" Anya questioned, looking at Astraea. "She's staying with me for the time being." She explained and Astraea nodded. Astraea handed Maria to Anya, then stood herself as Saari came over. "Goddess Astraea, may I ask why you've appeared?" Saari asked as Anya left but Alex, Penny and the group stayed.

Astraea looked at her before sighing, nodding as well. "I appeared to save the girl's life. She has a purpose she must fulfill, just as every Envoy does but Maria MUST fulfill her's…else all hope is lost." She explained softly, looking the way Anya left. "Terra, with Pandemonium would be destroyed if Maria fail's. I need to keep her alive, she is more important than anyone knows; she must be protected at all costs, she MUST be kept alive!" Astraea stated and Saari nodded. "I see…" Saari said before she narrowed her eyes a bite. "You're not letting your emotions get in the way, because she's-?" Saari was cut off by Astraea's sharp look and bowed.

"My apologizes Goddess, I didn't mean to offend you." Saari said, yet Astraea sighed. "You didn't offend me, please don't think I did this because of…THAT." Astraea said and Saari nodded. After everyone was completely healed and things taken care of; Maria, Darius, Lilliana, Sataka, Kavar, Maki, Toraka and Akina all headed toward Candeo Core. It had been nearly a week since the incident and Maria with her group were ordered to take care of things within Candeo Core…when things took a turn for the worst.

Someone appeared behind Maria, as she brought up the rear and struck. "Maria!" Sachi shouted and used ice to hit the guy. The group whipped around, only to see Maria clash her blades with a guy's claw's…when the moon revealed who the man was and Maria gasped. It was him, the guy Mirabelle told Maria about, the brawler who took the request to kill her. Maria was kicked to the ground and the guy struck at her but a blast to his left made him look at the others, even as Darius ran forward, trying to use his cannon to hit the guy.

The guy blocked, before he hit Darius back, a gash across his chest. "Darius!" Both Maria and Maki shouted but Maria had to block the guy's claws, even as the guy put more weight on his weapons. "So, you're the woman I've been ordered to kill, I see you have your little friend as well." He said before a cruel smirk cross his face. "Hahaha, did you get my 'present'?" He asked and Maria paled even as the others were confused. "Present?" Akina questioned, when Kavar pulled a picture out of Maria's pocket and held it up, showing it to Maria and her group. "Been tracking you for a while, little girl." Kavar said and they gasped as they saw it was a picture of Maria defeating Argus with an attack.

"So sorry I couldn't help you defeat Argus,but I was…busy." The guy said and was about to clash his blades against her, when suddenly the moon shone on Maria's face and her body glowed blue. The guy's eyes widened as he stopped…arms and body shaking as the blue glow seemed to go over him as well. Maria seemed confused and looked at him…only to see that his teal eyes seemed to shine with some kind of recognition. Did he know her? The blue glow covered both Maria and the guy completely, when suddenly he let his arms drop, the claws falling off.

"Why? Why can't I…bring myself to kill you?" The guy asked himself, looking at Maria shocked and Maria glared at him. "Probably because you know, in your heart, that killing me, an Envoy of Gaia; is the wrong thing to do." Maria said and got out from under him and he jumped back in shock. "E-Envoy!?" The guy questioned, shock on his face. "What else did you think I was?" Maria questioned, even as Darius, now healed, ran over and placed himself before Maria, protectively. "I thought you were a Devil Summoner, someone who summons demon's to do their bidding." The guy said before pulling the request out. "At least…that's what the request said you were." He explained, looking at the paper.

Maria sighed, surprised at how quickly this guy went from trying to kill her to trying to understand her. "Just to let you know, the survivor who issued the request is the real mad-man. Him, along with many, many others are the real epitome of evil." Maria said, before she explained what B.A.T was. She explained how they used people, like her, for experiments and how tons of them were killed if something went wrong. She also stated how every fifth experiment was meant to be an Envoy of Gaia but due to problems with forcing the power into the experiment, the experiment died within a few weeks, to a few month's time.

She also explained that due to some humans having their arms or some other organic limb/organ removed, replaced with something mechanical/robotic to make up for missing piece, the organic and mechanical thing's would clash and result in a malfunction, causing the person to die. "The same would've happened to me…if it hadn't been for Sataka getting me out before then." Maria said and he nodded, taking the new information in. "I see, so many died because BAT used humans for crime practically. And I took a request from a survivor, just perfect." The brawler said, being sarcastic near the end.

"Why did you take the request?" Maki asked confused, coming over with the rest. "I take on requests that require skills like mine, one who is both good in assassination and front-line fighting skills." He explained, before leaning back against a tree near the entrance to Candeo Core. "Due to the training I've gone through, I've been efficient in both types but I'm mainly good at assassination, seeing as I use katar's." The brawler said, showing them his claws. As they spoke, they were all unaware of the fact that Maria was talking with Sachi; what she said next caught their attention though.

"Hm…sounds like a good idea." Maria said, nodding at Sachi who smiled; and the group paled…there was only one reason for that look. Darius began to stutter like nothing else. "M-Maria, you c-can't b-be serious, I m-mean, he…uh…well…he-HE JUST TRIED KILLING YOU!" Darius shouted after Maria nodded and Saari appeared as well. "Hence, he 'tried' being the key word there, he stopped himself from killing Maria. I would assume you have decided not to?" Saari asked, turning to look at the man, her blue eyes analyzing him.

"I don't have a need, nor the will, to kill her. After all, in my opinion, she has done nothing wrong." The man said and Maria stepped forward more. "Then let me ask this, anything else you have to do?" Maria asked but he shook his head. "Not really, except take on another request." The man said cautiously, yet rose a brow at her…what was she getting at? "Then may I ask you to join us?" Maria asked, dumbfounding the rest of the group. "After all, in this group, everyone is trying to figure something out; I get this feeling that your skills will be much appreciated within the group." Maria said and smirked at him; he felt a smirk tug at his own lips.

"A group, eh? Traveling the world again, sounds like fun. Alright, I'm in! It's been some time since I began traveling with someone." The guy said and Maria smiled. "Alright, my name is Maria by the way." Maria introduced herself, the guy smiled. "My name is Luther, glad to join." The guy, now known as Luther said and the two shook hands. Darius sighed, shaking his head with a groan. "How come is it that every new person we encounter, we somehow end up bringing them along?" Darius questioned himself, while Sataka shrugged and Lilliana laughed.

Maria smiled as she turned away and looked at the entrance to Candeo Core and sighed. "Alright, we don't have a minute to spare, we have to stop the corruption within Candeo Marsh and the Candeo Core is the only place we haven't checked." Maria explained as she walked forward. "Now let's go in and do what we do best. Let's set things right!" Maria shouted and the group nodded. "Alright, let's get the formation straightened. Remember, keep Maki in the middle of the group." Maria said and they nodded.

"Kavar, you and Akina will be in the front, you do the most damage where there are enemies." Maria ordered and the two nodded, before she looked at Darius. "Darius, you and Toraka will be at the sides, protecting Maki's area and making sure nothing disturbs her." She stated, before turning toward Lilliana. "Lilliana, you, Sachi and Sataka will be near the back making sure nothing gets away and attacking anything that approaches us from behind." Maria commented, before looking at Luther. "Luther, you and me will go around, try to get behind enemies and get a surprise attack on them. We're swift and fast, so the monsters will be easier to defeat that way." Maria ordered out and the group nodded.

They ran in and were quickly attacked by what looked to be little sprouts and muddlings and quickly dealt with those. What shocked Maria was that the Candeo Core was beautiful but looking at the water, she could easily tell it was contaminated. She growled as she was hit to the ground, bringing her back to reality, before she killed the muddling that had her pinned. They continued through the core, being cautious now as they felt the air seemed to vibrate with negative energy. "It's worse than I thought." Maria stated, kneeling down at the edge of the stream, touching the water.

"What do you mean?" Akina asked, looking at Maria curiously. "The water…while it may look pure, is contaminated beyond anything I've ever seen." Maria said before she stood, crossing her arms. "This water is meant to destroy the environment or mutant anything that drinks it." Maria examined and Sataka knelt down to it, before she collected a sample in a vial. "We might be able to get Penny to take a look at this and figure out what's going on." Sataka explained, looking at the clear liquid. "Yeah, good idea. Alright, let's keep moving." Maria said and they continued heading deeper in.

They had ended up fighting a mutated muddling, before they ended up fighting a guardian called Toto, who was difficult defeating. They soon noticed footsteps and followed the path, it lead them back the way they came to a two-way split. "Maria, everyone!" Someone called and they saw Alex wave them over, a giant pack behind him. "Alex!" Maria exclaimed and walked toward him with the others. "Sorry about my earlier actions but this time I'm not going to take any chances." Alex said before sighing, as he rubbed his neck.

"But we do have a problem. The Queen Sarpa destroyed the floodgate, so the bloody thing is useless but I wouldn't be me without a Plan B." Alex said and pulled out a stick of dynamite from his pack. "Sometimes the simplest solution is the easiest." Alex said, before Sachi coughed nervously. "Since when did you start carrying dynamite Alex?" Kavar asked his superior with a flat expression, who laughed. "I have my ways." He said grinning, and Maria chuckled nervously. "Anyways, I need help with this. I was setting the dynamite up earlier but then the Sarpa Queen got the jump on me." Alex said, shocking Maria.

"She must know how important the water is and knows what we're trying to do." Maria said and Alex nodded. "I agree, she's onto us. But I can set it off, I just need you all to distract her servants and the Queen herself." Alex said and Luther nodded. "I agree, that would be the best course of action." Luther stated and Maria nodded. "I agree as well." Maria said and turned toward the others. "Alright, we'll each have a task. You all distract and defeat the servants, while me and Sachi will go after the Queen and stop her." Maria said but Darius gripped her arm hard.

"Maria, no! She'll kill you!" Darius shouted in worry, Saari appeared and shook her head. "Maria will be safe as long as I and Sachi are with her. Fear not." Saari stated and Maria nodded, smiling reassuringly at Darius. "I'll be fine Darius, don't worry." She said and Darius hesitated, before relenting with a sigh. "…Alright, but be careful!" Darius said and Maria nodded.

 **Later:** Maria shouted as she slashed downwards at the Sarpa Queen, killing her as her body hit the ground, the life draining from her body in the blood around her. Maria panted as her body glowed blue and pink as Sachi came over and smiled brightly at Maria, who returned the smile. "Phew, remind me not to make you mad!" Alex stated with a goofy grin and Maria chuckled at him. "Where are the others?" Alex asked, not seeing Darius or the others around. Maria smiled as she sheathed her weapons, explaining. "I ordered them to go ahead and report to Anya and await our return." Maria explained and Alex sighed.

"Alright, then we sho-!" Alex was cut off as a pressure fell on both him and Maria, bringing them to their knees. "Maria!" Sachi shouted but was dismissed by Maria. "Wh-what is t-this…pressure?" Alex questioned, gritting his teeth with strain, trying to stand. Suddenly a black and purple portal appeared, the swirling energy crackling with electricity, when suddenly a man clad in black armor appeared. Her smiled wickedly at them as the portal disappeared behind him and Alex gasped, while Maria's eyes widened.

"Reinhardt!" Alex shouted, glaring at the white haired, red eyed man. The man, Reinhardt the Shadow Knight only smiled, crossing his arms and snapping his fingers. The pressure disappeared, allowing the two to stand, both readying their weapons. "You're smart Alex, both you…and the girl." Reinhardt said, and looked at Maria…before his eyes widened. "You…" Reinhardt said, when suddenly both Sachi and Saari appeared, standing before Maria protectively. "You leave her out of this Reinhardt!" Alex threatened but Maria noticed Alex was trembling. _'He's…he's scared. Alex is afraid of fighting the Shadow Knight, but why?'_ Maria wondered, when suddenly she was blown against a pillar, she cried out in pain.

"Maria!" Alex shouted in worry, before looking at Reinhardt and readying his axe. "I don't need you interfering with this conversation, for I have a proposition for you, and only you Alex." Reinhardt said, his arm outstretched toward Maria but his gaze on Alex. "Alex, join me." He said and his eyes widened, even as Maria gasped, looking over at Alex was she was bound to the pillar, pressure from Reinhardt's power keeping her pinned up. "Help me bring an end to this sad world and bring about a new world, where immortality is free for all and none would suffer. Help me destroy the Church for what they've done, bring a new beginning for this world!" Reinhardt said, his free hand clenching to emphasize his point.

Alex fell silent and looked down, his body still trembling, shocking Maria; Alex wasn't really debating on joining that madman, was he? "Alex, don't listen to him! He's trying to trick you! AH!" Maria screamed as more pressure was placed on her, her arms suddenly leaking smoke as her legs. "Ah, Maria!" Alex shouted in worry, his brown eyes glancing at her in worry. He growled, before looking at Reinhardt, eyes harsh. "Never! I took on the Templar Oath, I will not join you and your dark scheme Reinhardt, I work for the light, for justice!" Alex shouted, readying his axe again more threatening.

Reinhardt scowled darkly, before scoffing as he lowered his hand, Maria falling with a thud and Sachi appeared beside her immediately even as Saari placed herself before Maria protectively. "Fine, you'll regret this decision Alex. You would've made an excellent lieutenant; next time we meet…we'll be enemies." Reinhardt said as he turned around, before he cast his glance toward Maria. "And next time, I won't be so merciful." Reinhardt stated as he walked into the portal and disappeared. Alex scowled, before he ran toward Maria and knelt down, helping her sit up; both Sachi and Saari looked worried. "Maria, are you okay?" Alex asked as the smoke stopped coming from her arms and legs.

"Y-yeah, I'll be okay." Maria said as she slowly stood, Alex helping her. "I suggest we go ahead and report to Anya, let her know everything is okay." Maria explained softly but Alex shook his head. "Can…can you go ahead without me?" He questioned and Maria looked at him confused. "I need some time to myself but don't worry, I'll meet you back at the village." Alex said with a tight smile, yet Maria looked at him concerned. "Alex…" She trailed off, unsure of what to say but Alex just waved his hand. "Go ahead, I'll be okay." Alex said, giving her a weary smile and she sighed but agreed, leaving.

 **Candentonn:** Maria entered the village, grimacing as her body ached from the pressure Reinhardt had exerted on her. "Maria!" A voice called out and she looked up only to see Darius and the others running toward her with Anya, and Penny. "Are you okay?" Darius asked, gripping Maria by her shoulders, looking at her concerned. "Yeah, I'm okay just tired." Maria said but Sachi sighed. "We had a run-in with the Shadow Knight, Reinhardt." Sachi explained and Anya gasped. "Did he cause those explosions? Is Alex okay? What happened?" Anya asked quickly, worry in her red eyes. Maria explained what happened, as well as Alex's change in behavior, then about what Reinhardt had tried to do.

Anya sighed as she realized the news wasn't as bad as she thought but it still wasn't good. "I see and we should give Alex some space. A long time ago, Alex and Reinhardt we're friends and Alex looked up to Reinhardt. I can understand this must be hard on him at the moment, so give him some space." Anya explained and the group nodded. "Alright, head back and let Belenus know. We'll get someone to help us with the cleanup and finish things here." Anya stated, and Maria nodded as her and the group left.


	13. Reinhardt Attacks

It was next week and Maria sighed as they entered Navea, before she looked around the dark city. Night had fallen over Terra and only a few guards and people roamed the city. Luther came up beside her as the group continued to the inn, before he pulled Maria off to the side. "Everything okay? You seem like you're thinking about something." Luther stated and Maria sighed, looking at the request that was for her. "Just…curious. I'm wondering who issued the request, do you know?" Maria asked Luther, who hummed.

"Not really, but I might be able to arrange a meeting between me and the guy. That way we can get some answers." Luther said, and Maria nodded. "I agree. After I meet with Belenus, we'll go see this guy, okay?" Maria said and Luther nodded. Luther took the request and headed toward the inn, even as Maria headed to the church with Sachi and Saari. She entered through the doors and walked toward Belenus, then bowed. "I am here to report the progress of Candeo Marsh." Maria said and Belenus smiled. "I see, but don't worry much about Candeo Marsh, I got the file from Anya right here. Though you do seem like you have something to ask me." Belenus observed and Maria sighed.

Maria stood and rubbed her shoulders, before deciding to just blurt it out. "Belenus, it's about Reinhardt, just who is he?" Maria asked and Gus tensed, before he began to speak before Belenus could. "Maria, I must let you know that what you're asking is completely classified information that we cannot answer for you yet." Gus stated but Belenus raised a hand. "Enough Gus, I believe she is ready for that information." He said, giving a small, tight smile. "After all, we are relying on an Envoy's help after all, I believe she has the right to know." Belenus said and Gus sighed, rubbing his head. "Belenus, is Reinhardt a demon of some sort?" Sachi questioned, curious. "Reinhardt is not a demon, he is very much human but like you he is an Envoy as well." Belenus said, before he began his speech.

He explained that Reinhardt was once the Commander of the Templar's, very much like how Andre is now. He was goods friends with Alex, Victoria, Andre and Anya; he was the best of the best. He also had a family starting, he was devoted to his wife Luciana and the Church; yet one day things took a turn for the worst. It was a few months after Reinhardt had become an Envoy, that his wife, Luciana, took ill. She was bedridden and no matter what they did, they couldn't save her life. They gathered the best of the best but it was useless; Maria learned that Miles was on the team to heal her.

She sighed as she took everything in and while it seemed something was still hidden from her, she knew she needed to give Belenus and the others time. "Now do you realize why we need your help?" Belenus questioned and Maria nodded. "Yes, I do realize, and no matter what I am still willing to help you. I don't wish to see Terra get destroyed by Reinhardt, I will help you stop him." Maria said with determination and Belenus smiled. "Thank you Maria." Belenus said, when suddenly a pressure entered the area. "This pressure…" Maria said, eyes wide.

She saw something out the corner of her eyes and jumped toward Belenus, pulling him back as lightning struck where he once stood. "Your Holiness!" Gus shouted as the Templar's readied themselves, when suddenly a voice spoke. "Ever the hypocrite Belenus." A voice sneered when suddenly a portal appeared near the doors and Reinhardt appeared, a dark sneer on his face. "Reinhardt…" Belenus said, frowning at the black-clad man. "Everyone protect the Bishop!" Gus ordered and everyone stood before Belenus protectively, even as Maria summoned Saari as well. "Still preaching lies, Belenus?" Reinhardt spat out, red eyes menacing.

Belenus tensed a little, obviously trying to stay strong. "Reinhardt, I am truly sorry for what happened back then; for we did all we could. But you-!" Belenus was cut off by Reinhardt slamming his sword against the ground. "Lying viper! How long do you plan playing blind Belenus, there was a way to save her! The Sky Tower, there was a potion at the top that could've saved her!" Reinhardt shouted and Belenus staggered back a bit. "T-that is-!" Belenus was silent, he didn't know what to say. "Have you nothing to say in your defense? Do you realize your mistake?" Reinhardt questioned, still scowling at Belenus.

"I swear to you Reinhardt, there was nothing we could do. It is true there is a cure at the top of the Sky Tower but that is for only to most dire of situations." Belenus said and Reinhardt scoffed. "You coward! It was possible to grab it, you're the leader of this Church, your job is saving people!" He shouted, before narrowing his eyes. "Or…are you saying some people's lives are more important than others?" Reinhardt questioned and Belenus tensed. "I served you and the church my whole life and I reaped a bitter reward for my efforts. That is why I have obtained the Cube, for it can help me reach my goals." Reinhardt said, when suddenly the portal behind him grew to an enormous size.

"And I have someone who wants to come and play. Come out you ugly brute!" Reinhardt shouted, when suddenly thuds were heard. "He really isn't summoning a demon…is he?" Sachi asked, shaking a little, even as Saari readied herself. Suddenly a huge green ogre emerged, wearing bones and tattered leather, who roared a challenge to all. Suddenly the doors flew open as Andre and Anya appeared. "What's going on here?!" Andre shouted, before he saw Reinhardt. "SHADOW KNIGHT!" He bellowed with Anya echoing him with her shout. Reinhardt looked at the two, before he smirked, and looked back at Belenus.

"I bid you farewell with this present." Reinhardt said, and turned to leave, but Maria sprang into action. "Oh no you don't!" Maria shouted, and jumped over the ogre, swords aimed at Reinhardt. Reinhardt looked at her, and threw his sword up to block, even as Maria's swords connected to his. Reinhardt growled as a red aura enveloped him and a blue aura enveloped Maria, the two aura's clashing. Maria was suspended in mid-air, pushing against his sword and Reinhardt gritted his teeth in strain as he fought to keep her back. Maria suddenly pushed off his sword, blades glowing blue as she struck at the portal. Reinhardt gasped as her blades seemed to cut the portal in-half and it disappeared.

"How did you-?" Reinhardt was cut off as Maria struck at him again and he growled. "Maria!" Anya shouted as she ran to try and help her but the ogre blocked her advances. "Protect Belenus, defeat the ogre!" Maria shouted before she dodged one of Reinhardt's attacks. Anya hesitated but obliged as she attacked the demon, trying to stop it. Reinhardt growled as he threw Maria off his sword, even as Saari struck with Sachi healing the two. Saari blocked a strike with her shield and Maria jumped over her, swords aimed for Reinhardt; in which he jumped back to avoid the attack. Suddenly his demon fell and Reinhardt looked at them shocked, before he growled.

Maria charged again but was stabbed in the arm by his sword. "Maria!" Anya shouted, before she was blown into a pillar, groaning in pain. "I'm done with this!" Reinhardt shouted and swung his sword, dark energy heading towards Belenus. "Grand Bishop!" Andre shouted, turning toward Belenus. Suddenly Maria jumped before Belenus, screaming as the attack hit her, shocking Andre and the others. Maria gasped in pain, before her eyes widened and she pushed both Belenus and Gus away, even as a sword suddenly ripped through her.

Her eyes widened in horror, even as Reinhardt sneered at her, before he yanked his sword out and jumped back avoiding Andre's sword and Anya's axe. Both glared at him as he landed by the doors and snapped his fingers; the portal reappeared as he jumped into it and disappeared with the portal. "Maria!" Sachi shouted and Anya ran toward Maria, holding her up. "Maria, stay with us!" Anya shouted, tears in her eyes. Maria coughed, blood specking her lips as the wound in her gut leaked more blood.

Suddenly Sachi and Saari flickered and Saari disappeared with a gasp. "Maria's dying!" Sachi shouted before she suddenly disappeared. "No Maria, stay with us!" Anya pleaded, but Maria's head went limp as she went unconscious from blood lose. Belenus knelt toward Maria and closed his eyes, chanting. Maria's body glowed blue and her wounds healed up, even as Belenus continued to chant.

Sachi and Saari reappeared and watched as Maria was saved, as Belenus ended his chant, Maria opened her eyes. Sachi smiled in joy, tears going down her face; Anya gave a sigh of relief, even as Saari smiled and disappeared. Sachi hugged Maria instantly, causing the duelist to cringe in pain. "Ow Sachi, that hurt." Maria said weakly and Anya suddenly hugged Maria as well. "Thank the Goddess you were here to protect the Bishop." Andre said in relief and Maria nodded. "Are you okay Belenus?" Maria questioned, he nodded. "I'm fine, thanks to you." Belenus said, making Maria sighed in relief.

 **So, the reason this is short...I didn't think it would fit with the previous chapter and I like the idea Aura Kingdom had of Reinhardt appearing in Navea and attacking Belenus and the others...but I didn't like how he left, so I thought: "What would happen if an Envoy attacked him and closed the portal?" Wouldn't Reinhardt be forced to fight as a result? The others would be busy with the Ogre and the Envoy would fight Reinhardt. I thought it'd be pretty cool but I added a twist as Maria, my Envoy, gets a near death experience. ^^**

 **Well, still more chapter's to go, enjoy!**


	14. Her Secret Revealed

Maria yawned as she left the Church, feeling slightly relieved. Belenus had told her to take some time off, in order to recover from her near death experience and she planned to use that time to her advantage. She would hunt down the man who issued the request to kill her, then find out what was going on. She gave a weary sigh as she entered the inn and walked toward the room that she was told to head to and found everyone going over plans. "Maria, what took so long?" Sataka questioned and Maria sighed.

"I just wanna get some sleep." Maria mumbled, worrying them. "Did something happened?" Toraka asked, Kavar nodding. "Did you get into another fight with Commander Andre?" Lilliana asked worriedly and Akina tilted her head. "I take it you and the Commander don't get along?" Akina questioned and Maria sighed. "I'll tell you all in the morning." Maria grumbled and collapsed on her bed, falling asleep.

 **Two Days Later:** Maria growled as she trudged through the forest, kicking her legs every now and then to get the weeds to let go of her. They had gotten word of where the man who issued her request was at and after Luther got the coordinates for the meeting place, they ended up leading the group to get answers. Soon enough, they came upon a rundown cottage and Luther told the others to hide while he walked toward the door. "Is anyone there?" Luther asked, knocking on the door. The door opened slightly and the person let Luther in. Suddenly there was a lot of thudding and shouting, causing the group to pale slightly.

"You sure he won't kill him first?" Kavar asked Maria, who shrugged. "He better not, I want some answers." Maria stated, bringing her swords out. Soon Luther waved them in and they walked in, seeing the man tied down. The man's eyes filled with horror and fear as Maria walked in with Sachi, glaring at the man. "You…you should b-be d-dead, you-you monster!" The man shouted but Maria growled. Maria kicked the table aside, before placing her foot between the man's thighs, causing him to gulp. "Start talking. Why did you issue the request?" Maria asked in a threatening manner and the guy gulped.

"Because you're a demon, you killed people. You killed everyone at the lab!" The man shouted and Maria swallowed thickly; even as the others were shocked a bit. "I got justice for what you people did to me, to those like me." Maria stated venomously. "You mean for the little that we did?" The man questioned back with a snarl. Maria growled and kicked him; the force making him fall back and hit his head against the ground, making him groan. Maria slammed her foot against his chest and his spit out blood, confusing them.

"That force shouldn't be able to make him spit out blood." Lilliana whispered to Darius, who nodded to her…something wasn't right. "Legs still metallic I see." The guy observed, spitting out more blood. Maria narrowed her eyes, before she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, unaware of the others shocked faces. "I thought I killed you with the others…you should be dead!" Maria shouted, her body shaking with rage. Maria grabbed one sword and went to strike him but a hand grabbed her wrist, as another person grabbed the guy. Kavar pulled the guy back, even as Darius hugged Maria close to him. "D-Darius?!" Maria shouted shocked, looking at him with wide eyes.

"Maria, killing someone isn't the answer." Darius tried to reason with her. "You should know this, considering you know what they did to those like you. They killed those like you and you put a stop to it but killing this man won't solve anything." Darius said to Maria, who continued to shake with rage. "You have no idea what he did, what all the scientist's did to me, to everyone!" Maria shouted, feeling tears building up. "All the experiments were murdered by them, because they were dying or malfunctioning. They killed them off because of me, I had to get justice and avenge them!" Maria shouted, tears now running down her face.

"For a monster, I'm surprised you can still cry." The man said and Maria growled. "I ask you this, why did you want Maria killed?" Luther asked, glaring at the man. "Because she's a monster, a demon; she killed everyone." The man said slowly, a slight threatening tone to his voice. Sataka had enough and opened her grimoire, before she sealed the guy with **Blood Seal** , making him look at her shocked. "Sataka…why?" The guy questioned and she looked away. "You're all criminal's." Sataka said simply, before she killed him with **Flame Shock**. "Sataka…I was meant to deal with this." Maria said as Darius helped her straighten.

"Be that as it may, you shouldn't bear the burden alone. I worked with those people and helped them do what they did to you. While I, myself, was not directly involved, it doesn't mean I didn't help them." Sataka explained, looking at Maria sadly. Maria nodded, before she felt Darius tightened his grip of her arm harshly and she winced as she felt the metal within dent a little; suddenly electricity shot out from her shoulder. "AH!" Maria shouted, jerking from Darius and holding her shoulder. "Maria!" Everyone shouted and Darius knelt to her. "Maria, why didn't you tell us?" Darius questioned as Sachi healed her arm, sadness in her eyes.

"Because the last person we told tore Maria apart, broke her heart in two and damage her trust in others." Sachi explained as the smoke and electricity stopped. "And who would that be? The guy you told us about when we first met you?" Darius asked, worry in his eyes. "Yes…Taka Narmada, a man from the village I lived at that I called home." Maria explained, sighing in relief slightly when the pain stopped. "I was afraid everyone would hate me…that they would fear me, because I wasn't fully human." Maria explained, looking at her legs.

"My legs and arms had been removed and replaced with robotic limbs, to keep them functioning because they were damaged beyond repair." Maria explained, soon looking at her arms. "While I still have veins, tissue and skin, my bones are robotic because my bones were crushed; the wires for my arms and legs to function are connected to my veins. I usually begin having problems seeing as organic is colliding with robotic." Maria explained, rubbing her arms as she stood. "And you didn't tell us, because you came to trust us…and was afraid we would leave you the moment we would find out?" Toraka surmised, and Maria nodded, looking away in sadness.

Darius hugged Maria tightly, shocking her as she blushed and hesitantly hugged back. "Maria, we would never leave you. In the beginning I told you that you could trust us…that we wouldn't hurt you in any way and I plan to stay true to it." Darius commented, before giving a sad smile "I don't want to hurt you but you have to trust us as well if you want us to trust you." He reasoned and she sighed like a weight was lifted. "Darius…thank you." Maria said softly and smiled as did Darius.

 **This chapter was to show how Maria deals with her past pretty much, how everyone finds out about what truly happened to her and shows that they still accept her for what she is. Despite all the sadness, heartache and pain she went through, believing she would be betrayed by them the moment they found out...they proved her wrong and she couldn't be happier. Glad to know she still had friends and happy to know they would always love her for who she is. Well, enjoy! ^^**


	15. Meeting an Envoy, Talks of Alliance

It was a week later as Maria tilted her head a bit confused at Belenus's words, just what did he mean by this alliance? "How do you expect me and my friends to get them to listen to us? From what I've heard their all stubborn, stuck-up and don't care about anyone else." Maria stated, confusion on her face. "And I know Seagram from the Sanknie Trade Alliance won't listen to us." Toraka explained, shaking his head. "And from my encounter's, the Makar hate us. It'll be hard getting them to even listen to one of us." Akina stated gruff, she didn't like this idea. "Oblitus Woods may be the only place that'll listen to what we have to say." Kavar said, sighing with a shrug.

Belenus sighed, he expected this reaction. "I am aware of this but we need everyone's help to win this war. I know that it will be hard but we need every race combining their strength together in order to win." Belenus said and Maria sighed. "Alright, we'll do as needed Belenus. Don't worry, I won't let you down!" Maria said giving a confident smile, Belenus smiled back. "You remind me of another Envoy we have working for the Church." Belenus said, shocking them all. "T-there's another?!" Maria asked hopefully, eyes wide in awe.

"Yes, she's rather energetic but very trustworthy. She's actually to be back from Candeo marsh but tomorrow. There was another sudden struggle at Candeo Marsh, so she went to stop it; you might find her as a useful ally and friend." Belenus stated and Maria hummed. "Maria, I would like it if you could meet her. I know she'd be happy to meet another Envoy who is on our side." Belenus said and Maria laughed. "Ha-ha, well when you put it that way, alright then! I'll stop by tomorrow before me and the group head out to Ventos Prairie." Maria said and Maki paled. "We're dealing with the Makar's first? Ugh, Goddess kill me now." Maki complained with a groan and Luther glared at her. "Stop complaining, I'm not too thrilled about this either." Luther stated as they left.

 **Next Day:** Maria stretched as she walked through Navea, heading to the Church. Belenus had asked her, yesterday, to come to the Church to meet another Envoy and Maria had agreed to do so. She was glad to know there was another Envoy aside from her that was fighting for good; she had always felt the power of another but due to her's being stronger, she couldn't pinpoint the others. She had always felt the power coming from Andre's direction and, at first, she thought he had somehow became an Envoy but she quickly realized that, due to his hatred of Envoy's, it was highly unlikely.

Sachi floated beside her Envoy, eyes showing happiness at the possibility of meeting another Envoy. "I wonder who it was Belenus wanted us to meet?" Sachi questioned happily, Maria nodded to Sachi, agreeing. "Same, though I'm a little upset the others wanted stayed at the Inn...but then again, their exhausted. I also hope Andre isn't there." Maria stated with a growl, Sachi gave a sad smile, knowing how Andre and Maria weren't getting along. Sachi floated closer to Maria and hugged her around the shoulders. "Don't worry Maria, he'll come to learn your nothing like other Envoys, that your nothing like Reinhardt." Sachi said as they neared the Church, where she let her go so they could enter.

"True, but he gets angrier each-!" Maria was cut off as she opened the door, hearing Andre's voice. "YOU'LL BE JUST LIKE HIM ONE DAY!" He shouted thus making Maria sighed sadly. "No such luck." Maria grumbled and walked in with Sachi, when Sachi suddenly stopped her. "Another Envoy really is here...and they are quite powerful." Sachi whispered and Maria nodded, feeling the power as well. The other Envoy was powerful...but her Gaian power wasn't near Maria's from how Sachi worded it. "No I won't, you'll come to understand one day!" A female's voice retorted back and they saw a long, white haired woman, with red eyes glaring back at Andre; a unicorn sitting beside her.

Sachi's eyes widened as she saw the pink maned unicorn, gold armor shining in the light of the Church. "Alessa?" Sachi questioned, catching everyone's attention. "Hm? Sachi?" Alessa questioned, standing up. "You...you found an Envoy?" Sachi questioned as Maria came to stand beside them; Alessa nodded as Maria turned toward Andre. Maria narrowed her eyes a little at Andre, who returned the glare; the white haired duelist looked at Maria, before looking at Andre. The way the two were acting...it was obvious the two knew each other as well. "Accusing another Envoy, Andre?" Maria growled out, her gold eyes now a molten gold as she continued to glare at Andre, who scoffed at her.

"Shut up!" He snapped out and Maria growled more, as did Akane at his harsh tone. "You're no better than the others Maria, so don't even-!" Andre was interrupted by Belenus. "That's enough Andre," Belenus began softly, yet Andre looked ready to protest. "you need to calm down." Belenus ended sternly and Andre only growled. He didn't like the idea of two envoy's meeting; especially when one had a certain connection to another Envoy. Belenus sighed, expecting the anger from Andre but saddened he was upset. "Maria, I would like you to meet Akane, another Envoy who has joined the Church." Belenus said, motioning to Akane, so Maria turned to smile at the young girl.

"She is also a duelist as you are, she was the one I spoke about yesterday." He finished and Maria held a hand out to shake. "Nice to meet you Akane, I'm Maria." Maria greeted kindly, making Akane smile. "I'm a fellow Envoy of Gaia, Duelist and Sachi is my Eidolon. I have another with me, Saari, Champion of the Slain but she's sleeping at the moment." Maria explained and Akane smiled, shaking her hand. "Heehee, nice to meet you as well Maria." Akane greeted in return, her smile bright. "As Belenus stated, I am Akane; fellow Envoy of Gaia, Duelist as well and Alessa is my Eidolon." Akane explained, before looking at Maria curiously.

"I only have one Eidolon with me; I didn't know it was possible to handle more." Akane stated and looked at the Regal Unicorn with a smile. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm the only one like that." Maria responded with a shrug as Alessa walked forward. "It's nice to meet you Maria." Alessa said softly, making Maria return the smile. "Nice to meet you as well, Alessa." Maria said softly, wondering why Alessa looked familiar somehow. Andre groaned, rubbing the area between his eyes. "I just feel something bad brewing." He grumbled and Akane looked at him, angry. "You're paranoid, I swear!" Akane growled out and the two began bickering again.

Maria chuckled nervously, watching the two bicker. _'Two of a kind.'_ Maria thought, glad she wasn't arguing with Andre this time; though his arguing brought another questioned to her mind. _'Why is he so mean toward her though? He's never like me with this and he gets almost just as mean when Reinhardt is mentioned.'_ Maria wondered, before she looked at Akane. _**"** **She looks familiar...doesn't she?"**_ Sachi's voice sounded in Maria's head and Maria nodded. _'That she does...she looks like a female Reinhardt.'_ Maria thought before her eyes widened. _'...Wait a second!'_ Maria began to shake as the question came to her, right as Andre said something about Akane being like her father, before Maria screeched: "ARE YOU RELATED TO REINHARDT?!" Se exclaimed and Akane winced, even as Andre growled.

Akane fidgeted where she was, feeling Andre's glare and Maria's curious and dumbfounded look. "Uh, well...m-maybe?" Akane said nervously, even as Maria stared at her and Akane sighed; there was no way around it. "He's...he's my...dad." Akane said and Maria's golden eyes went wide in shock. "WHAT?!" She exclaimed once more, eyes wide. "Reinhardt has a child...a daughter, no less?! I knew he had a wife, but I didn't think he had a kid!" She shouted and Sachi grew worried, seeing how odd Maria was acting. "Don't start panicking Maria," Sachi began softly, floating up to be at Maria's shoulders. "you almost had one before we left for Candeo Marsh, when Anya nearly lost her position in your defense." Sachi said to her quietly, when Andre spoke.

"I swear, she's going to become just like her father one day." He growled out, causing both Maria and Akane glared at him. "And how would you know?" Akane questioned, growing tired of the conversation. "We're two different people! Just because I am his daughter doesn't mean I'll become like him!" Akane shouted and then Maria spoke, nodding with Akane. "Exactly! Not all Envoys are the same Andre, we're all different!" Maria stated and Andre just growled, before leaving. Maria looked like she was going to follow, when Belenus spoke. "Leave him be Maria," He began and she turned to look at him, looking upset, "let him handle this on his own." He suggested and Maria sighed, rubbing her neck.

"Alright." She said and Belenus smiled, soon waving to dismiss them, Maria turned back toward Akane, heading for the doors. "Is he always like that toward you?" Maria asked and Akane nodded sadly. "Yeah...sadly, enough." Akane stated, looking to the ground a little in sadness. "I wish he'd come to understand we're different people, even if Reinhardt is my dad." Akane said as they exited the doors and Maria nodded; she understood Akane's wish to be seen differently. Andre had the same views about Maria, about her becoming evil just like Reinhardt.

Akane shook her head, getting her mind off the topic. "On another note, how did you come across Sachi?" She asked Maria, who smiled; understanding the need to change the topic. "It was a long time ago, I got Sachi when I was fifteen so I've had her for about five years now, seeing as I'm twenty." Maria explained, smiling at Akane. "I use to live with Sheila and her family over in Port Skandia," Maria began, shocking Akane. "but things started happening, and then stuff happened with Kane." A sad sigh escaped Maria at this point. "To prevent Sheila and her family getting hurt, I left. It's been two, going on three years since I've left." Maria explained and Akane looked to the ground, still surprised.

"Wow, I was living with Sheila and York for a long time too." Akane explained. "I got Alessa while at Port Skandia, I was wondering why you looked familiar but I don't think we ever spoke. I've been there my whole life as well and I'm seventeen going on eighteen." Akane stated and Maria chuckled, she remembered seeing someone similar to Akane while at Port Skandia. "I was out a lot and I mean **a lot** , so that's probably why we didn't get to talk much. I didn't stay at the house often either unless Joel begged, offering to usually do patrol's every now and then. So I wasn't always home." Maria stated with a sigh and Akane gave a soft smile.

She remembered Joel bugging a braided, black haired girl, she now realized that was Maria. "I see, it was similar with me...seeing as I was a Garrison Member." Akane explained and Maria nodded, silently telling her to continue. "I got Alessa one day, after I had a strange dream and as that day progressed, I had a blue sphere following me. When Elena tried to remove it, the spirit transformed into Alessa and since then, we've been together. Though, at first I tried to get rid of her...not wanting to become like Brian." Akane stated guilty and Maria seemed shocked. "I've been with Sachi for five years and nothing's happened between us. And Brian...what happened to him?" Maria asked, somewhat confused.

"A year after I left, I heard something happened to him and that someone vanquished him. Was that you?" Maria asked Akane, who nodded softly. "Yeah, I defeated him when he turned into a demon. He had an Eidolon as well and said the same would happen to me." Akane stated and looked at Alessa, gently running a hand down Alessa's mane. "He said I would become a demon like he did the longer I stay with Alessa. But, I've come to really like her." Akane commented and Maria smiled, warmth swirling in her heart at hearing that.

"I'm glad I'm not the only one attached to an Eidolon." Maria said and patted Sachi's head, the young sylph smiling. As they walked aimlessly through Navea, Akane noticed that Maria's Envoy of Gaia power was unnaturally strong, much stronger than she believed it should be, even during the time Maria and Sachi spent together. As they neared an Inn, Maria heard someone call for her. "Maria, where are you?!" A female's voice called out and Maria sighed. "Give me one second, will ya?" Maria questioned and Akane nodded, a curious look on her face that made Maria chuckle.

"That's Lilliana, I told her I had a meeting. I'll be right back; I think Sachi and Alessa wanna catch up." Maria said and after Akane nodded, Maria ran to talk to her ranger. When she was out of earshot, Alessa turned toward Sachi. "Hey Sachi?" She began, catching both Sachi's and Akane's attention. "I've noticed that Maria, your Envoy, has a really high amount of Gaian power. Why is that?" Alessa asked and Sachi sighed. "She doesn't know it herself, so you can't tell her until she figure's it out...but she's not from Terra." Sachi said, making both Akane and Alessa gasp.

 **With Maria:** Maria sighed as Lilliana chuckled nervously, Maria tapping her foot. "Seriously, I thought you would've learnt by now that, when I'm not in my room, I'm usually at the Church when we sleep in Navea." Maria said, before giving a sigh. "Besides, remember yesterday when Belenus asked me to come to the church?" Maria questioned and Lilliana twiddled her thumbs. "S-sorry...b-but Darius was worried, so I went to find you." Lilliana replied and Maria sighed, she couldn't stay mad at Lilliana forever. "I'm fine, I'll be back shortly, I was talking to the Envoy that Belenus wanted me to meet." Maria explained and Lilliana smiled.

After a bit more explaining, Lilliana went back in the Inn and Maria sighing as she walked back. "Sorry about that, Lilliana stated everyone was worried about me." Maria explained, rubbing her neck. "Ah, they're getting worried?" Akane questioned with a smirk and Maria laughed, nodding. "Yep pretty much, so we gotta get going. Sorry but it was great meeting you." Maria said and Akane nodded. "I agree. I gotta head back to Skandia anyways and say 'hi' to everyone." Akane explained, before a thought struck her. "And I'm sure they want to see me...wanna tag along anyways?" Akane questioned but Maria shook her head.

"Sorry, I can't." Maria said sadly and Akane nodded, she understood; they both worked for the Church. "Me and my friends are being ordered to head to Ventos Prairie, Star Sand Desert and Oblitus Wood to form an alliance. But say 'hi' for me, okay?" Maria stated and Akane smiled. "Alright, I'll make sure to say 'hi' for ya then. And I'm actually about to head to Triatio Highlands, I just got back from Candeo Marsh and I decided to say 'hi' to the others at Skandia before I get too busy." Akane stated and Maria nodded. "Yeah, I heard about the scuffle that happened a little while after I left." Maria responded and Akane nodded, remembering the Corpser Bandits and everything else.

"Alright, well, I see you later Akane. If we meet up again, let's tag together for a while and show everyone what two Envoy's together can really do!" Maria stated and Akane nodded, smirking. "I agree wholeheartedly. See ya!" Akane said and ran off, Alessa not too far behind, even as Maria watched them leave. "You okay, Maria?" Sachi asked, looking at Maria curiously. "Yeah, I'm fine Sachi. I think I just made another friend, one who I believe can help me defeat Reinhardt and show Andre that not all Envoys are like Reinhardt." Maria said with a soft smile and went back to the Inn, Sachi following happily...glad to see Maria happy.


	16. Ventos Prairie

Maria panted as she walked back to Tatiana; the lovely Makar woman smiling in pride. It had been a month since Maria and the group had entered Ventos Prairie and already they were making quick progress. When they first entered, they automatically got disgusted looks and slight snarls in their direction; yet they kept their heads held high. They had tried speaking to the Chief, Leo Ryan but they were stopped when he threw a fit about her knowing his third son, Odum Ryan; who Leo Ryan himself claimed to be a traitor.

They talked to both the First Prince, Palo Ryan then the second Prince, Para Ryan; who decided to give them a chance. They had earned Para Ryan's trust about two weeks ago but it wasn't easy. They had to undergo all the trial's that the soldier's would have to go through and her friend's barely made it through. Afterwards though, they had been asked to try and stop the rebel's army; who had started an uprising in Odum's name with the help of Micha and Odum's beloved, Tatiana. Though Para's assistant, Bard, had explained that Micha had different motives and was using the uprising in Odum's name as a cover.

They had been able to talk some sense into Tatiana due to a Makar by the name of Tiny, who died trying to stop the uprising. After gaining her trust and showing her the letter; she nearly broke down but was able to compose herself to try and stop the uprising. Due to Maria's help and her group they were able to put a dent into the plans of Micha. "Thank you Maria, soon enough Micha will know not to try and backstab me ever again. That is if he lives through the next battle." Tatiana stated but Maria noticed her shaking.

"What's wrong?" Lilliana asked, worry in her eyes. Maria noticed a letter in Tatiana's hand, was that was worried her? "Micha has challenged me to a battle…a battle to the death. As much as I want to, I know I'm no match for him. I'm not exactly strong in physical terms and-!" Tatiana was stopped as Maria nodded. "Let me go in your place, Tatiana. I'll defeat Micha in your place and show him the true meaning of fear." Maria stated with a grin and Tatiana smirked.

"Oh don't kill him; I want him to be brought back to Leo Ryan alive." Tatiana said and Maria nodded. "And that would increasingly help me, you going in my place. It is stated that we can choose a warrior to fight for us; for finding strength in one is a power of its own. Maria." Tatiana said, before putting the letter away. "I would be honored if you were to go as my warrior." Tatiana said with a bow and Maria bowed back. "I won't let you down, I will stop him. Everyone, let's head to the battle meeting." Maria said and everyone escorted Maria and Tatiana to the battle.

 **Next Day:** Maria growled as she pulled Micha along with her, the red Makar bruised and bloody, bound tightly; unable to move except walk. As they entered the village, everyone there stopped dead-in-their-tracks at seeing Maria and her group pull Micha along, with Tatiana and those she had with her pulling the rebels with them. The Makar made way as they went up the stairs and suddenly Leo Ryan rushed out of his house with Para Ryan and Palo Ryan beside him; all three looking shocked.

"Leo Ryan, Para Ryan, Palo Ryan; I believe I have done well enough." Maria said as she pushed the bound Micha forward, the Makar keeping his head high. Leo Ryan began to grow furious at seeing the red Makar, who framed his son. "How dare you Micha, trying to interfere in everything; using my son as a cover! What have you to say in your defense?!" Leo Ryan shouted; voice deadly and venomous toward the red Makar. Micha stayed silent, his gaze unwavering and Leo snorted at the silence. He ordered Micha to be taken away and some guards came over and dragged Micha off; each seeming to shake when Maria watched them.

"Tatiana, come here." Leo said softly, looking at Tatiana as she walked forward. "I know what I did was foolish and I should have never listened to Micha in the beginning." Tatiana began softly, lowering her head in sadness. "Thanks to Maria and her friends, I was able to see the errors of my way. I am ready to serve my punishment." Tatiana said with a bow and Maria looked away sadly…was there nothing she could do? Leo Ryan was silent for a moment, before a soft smile overcame his face. "Tatiana, don't worry about a punishment." Leo said, placing his heads on her shoulders, making Tatiana look at him shocked.

"I forgive you for what happened, for you stopped Micha; while you had help it seems getting help in others is both honorable and a strength of its own. I forgive you Tatiana, both you…and Odum." Leo said and Tatiana smiled. "Oh your Majesty, thank you!" Tatiana said as she embraced Leo, crying slightly. Leo let go as Tatiana soon turned around and smiled at Maria and Leo looked at Maria as well. Maria didn't know why…but for some reason she felt uneasy under his gaze; she figured it was probably because he was the King of the Makar. "Hm, an Envoy they say?" He questioned and Maria shifted from foot-to-foot.

"You definitely are an interesting human; much different from your group and others I've seen. It makes me wonder how you would do in the tournament." Leo said and Maria paled, even as everyone began whispering. "How about you join the tournament we are holding?" Leo asked and Maria gulped, why did that make her feel even more uneasy? "It's an important role within us Makar and it selects who will be the new King. If you can win, I'll consider this allegiance of yours." Leo said and Para and Palo recoiled back in shock. "Father, you can't be serious!" Para said, shocked about this outcome.

"You can't let a weak little human, like her, into the tournament. It's senseless!" Palo declared, readying his axe towards Maria, who placed her hands on her swords. "SILENCE BRATS!" Leo shouted, making everyone jump, even Maria. "I am in charge here, not you two; now be quiet!" Leo shouted to his son's, causing them to go silent. "Well Maria, what will it be?" Kavar asked and Maria sighed, thinking. _**"Think carefully Maria, this could be fatal."**_ Saari's voice sounded in Maria's head and she nodded, she understood.

Was it smart? Yes, it would acquire the alliance and she knew how strong that Makar were; she fought Odum for crying out loud! She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked toward her right, seeing Darius smile at her reassuringly; making Maria smile back and nod. As long as they were there, she could do anything and she couldn't afford to lose. "I accept!" Maria said and smiled; she had to win.

 **Week Later:** Maria grunted as her back hit the ground but before the Makar's weapon could hit her she jumped backwards, before she used **Cross Slash**. She then jumped behind the Makar and used **Whirling Dance** , the blades somehow blue instead of purple. She jumped back to her end as the Makar fell to his knees and smiled. During the past week she had been given orders to get her own armor and weapons ready; Makar tradition. She had meet Pascal, the armor smither and Shep, the weapon smither; each helping her create a wonderful weapon and amazing armor specific for the tournament.

She had also meet Shashek, who was the Waterhole Guardian and Adonis, who was the Filthrun Croft Guardian. She had to prove herself to both of them to obtain certain War Breath's to enchant into her weapon and armor. Each had also offered to watch the competition this year, interested at seeing Maria going to be there. "I'm sorry my king, I have failed." The Makar said to Leo, who only chuckled. "It's alright my kin, rest now." Leo said and he was taken off the field, when suddenly Para interrupted.

"Father let me be the next competitor." Para said, ready to defeat Maria. She had already defeat two of their strongest warriors, hadn't even broken a sweat. He was ready to stop her winning streak. "Alright then, your next my son." Leo said, smiling with pride as Shalen announced Para being the next competitor. What happened next was a surprise as Maria defeated Para but with some difficulty; yet she was still standing strong. Palo couldn't take it anymore and slammed his axe into the ground. "Let me be next father, I will show this wimpy human the pride of the Makar!" Palo said, and Leo sighed.

"Alright then son, you are the last." Leo said and Adonis with Shashek looked at each other worried. "I have a bad feeling about this." Shashek whispered to Adonis, who nodded; Darius looked at them worried. "Why do you say that?" he asked, catching the group's attention. "Palo is ruthless; he won't take kindly to losing if he somehow defeats Maria." Shashek explained, watching as Maria and Palo clashed blades. "He might try to kill her to gain victory but if that happens, we'll interfere ourselves." Adonis stated and Darius looked at the field, worried as Maria and Palo clashed.

Maria growled as she was thrown away by Palo, before she struck again, using **Whirling Dance** before she hit with **Snowflower**. She quickly used **Dancing Balisong** , not wasting time, healing herself as the attack gained her some stamina back. She dodged an attack; before her eyes glowed gold and lifted her swords. "Whirling Dance!" Maria shouted, blades glowing blue. She charged at Palo and jumped before he could hit her; she slashed at him vertically, bringing him to his knees. She landed before him, panting; that took a lot out of her. Everyone whooped and cheered, while some groaned and shouted in rage; but overall, everyone seemed either shocked or happy.

Darius was about to run into the field and congratulate her, when suddenly Palo stood. "I lost…to this human?" Palo questioned, his voice trembling with rage. Leo narrowed his eyes, noticing something was wrong. "You lost fair and square Palo, don't exert yourself anymore." Leo warned, looking at Palo suspiciously. Palo turned toward his father, eyes filled with rage. "How can you say that father?! How can you let the pride of the Makar be tainted, and by this filthy human?!" Palo exclaimed in outrage and Leo glared at his son. "Enough Palo, you lost! Don't do anything stupid or dishonor us!" Leo stated, glaring hard at Palo.

"No…I won't accept this." Palo said and brought out a potion. "No, Palo stop!" Shalen shouted but it was too late. Palo downed the potion, when suddenly his body began to pulse and slightly glow. His body grew in size and Maria gulped, backing up slightly. Everyone tried to interfere, to help her but the barrier around the arena prevented interruption. Suddenly Palo roared, now triple his size and swung at Maria. Maria gasped and dodged, before she jumped, avoiding Palo's axe. "No, Maria!" Darius shouted and shot at the barrier, but it did nothing. "Shit!" Toraka shouted and began shooting at the barrier as well. Everyone attacked the barrier, even Para, Leo, Adonis and Shashek as they tried to save Maria.

The axe sank into her shoulder but hit something solid; stopping its advance. Maria cried out though as her skin was cut and smoke leaked from her arm, the metal damaged. Maria hit the ground and looked at Palo as he swung at her again; yet Maria got an idea. She jumped and landed on Palo's axe, before she aimed for his head. "Maria, don't kill him!" Sachi shouted; horror in her eyes. Maria spun and her foot connected with Palo's head, knocking him to the ground. Before he could do more, Maria hit him with the hilt of her sword, knocking him out.

Maria panted as she fell to her knees, even as the barrier disappeared and the group ran toward Maria and Leo shook his head at his son. Suddenly laughter was heard as three Gnomes appeared from the crowd and everyone gasped as they pointed at Palo as Palo suddenly shrank to be about three feet tall. "What's the meaning of this?!" Leo demanded, and the Gnomes continued to chuckle. "Oh Leo Ryan, you big cats are so stupid! Blinded by the need for power, we gave Palo a potion but he's actually poisoned!" The leader said, laughing more.

"How dare you! You best heal my son you wretched shrimps." Leo threatened and the Gnome laughed. "Oh we will, on one request." He said and Leo narrowed his eyes. "You and everyone must leave the Prairie; we will be the rulers over you filthy cats and everyone else who comes here." The Gnome stated, twirling his knife. "Wretched swine's!" Leo shouted and slammed his axe toward them, two arcs killing the two Gnomes with the leader. "Ack…you'll regret this!" The Leader shouted, before he ran off and Leo growled as everyone dispersed, hoping to find a way to save Palo Ryan.

 **Week Later:** Maria yawned as she threw the book down and grabbed another, looking through the pages. Maki, Kavar, Akina and Luther had gone to help the Makar stop the Gnomes and grab a potion to heal Palo but so far none of them have worked. Maria, Darius, Lilliana, Sataka, Sachi and Saari stayed behind to search through the books for a cure, so far though, they haven't found anything either. "Argh, it's hopeless!" Liliana shouted, throwing a book against the wall. "We can't give up Lilliana, everyone is counting on us." Darius said to his sister and Sataka nodded, agreeing. "He's right, there's got to be some way to save Palo." Sataka stated, more to convince herself though.

Para entered the library, looking around. "Find anything?" He asked and Maria shook her head, she was sitting at a desk, surrounded by books. "Not really, but-Wait a minute." Maria said, grabbing their attention as they walked over. "What is it?" Darius asked as Maria pointed toward a picture. "What's the Tears of Ares?" Maria asked, looking at Para, who gasped. "I thought it was just a myth but it's said that Wrathborne Temple might have something in there that can cure anything." Para explained and Maria hummed. "If so, then we might be able to save Palo." Maria explained, looking at the book.

"This book has a list of medicine and cures; I doubt someone would publish a fake book about stuff like that. We just have to enter Wrathborne Temple and grab the item." Maria said, grabbing her swords off the wall. Darius strapping the canon to his arm, Lilliana grabbing her bow and quiver and lastly Sataka grabbing her grimoire and they left the village. Para went with them, leading the way. "Shashek might be able to help us." Para said, and Maria nodded. As they travelled through the Prairie, they could hear the battle from miles away; it sounded violent. Suddenly Maria was hit in the back by some attack, making her scream in pain. "Maria!" Darius shouted in worry, before he dodged a ball of fire.

"What the-?!" Sataka gasped as she was hit by an ice-ball and growled as she pushed against the tree she hit. Standing before them now was a young woman with long blue hair, bangs straight and dark purple eyes; wearing a black, red and white dress, or robe, with a winged staff in one hand. Suddenly her staff glowed purple as a strip of lightening headed toward Maria and began shocking her. "Stop it!" Liliana shouted, strung three arrows and left off her **Triple Shot** , but they missed as wind swirled around the woman. "What the-AH!" Lilliana screamed as she was thrown into Para by wind.

"Lilliana!" Darius shouted, before he shot at the woman who dodged; the lightning ending. "Who are you?" Sachi asked but the woman only growled. "Finally you summon your spirit! Now to kill you and gain what I desire!" The woman shouted and used Energy Conflux, causing everyone to gasp as they felt their power slowly drain. Suddenly the woman screamed as Kavar appeared, throwing to woman away with his shield and stood before Maria protectively; Toraka, Akina, Maki and Luther appeared as well and helped everyone up, but Luther stopped when he saw the woman. "Sandra?" He questioned, teal eyes wide at seeing her. "Luther?" The woman questioned, before she growled, seeing she was outnumbered.

"Dammit, I may have lost this time girl but next time your life is mine." Sandra said looking at Maria, before she disappeared. "What was that all about?" Maria asked Luther as Kavar helped her up. "That was Sandra, a woman I grew up with. I wonder why she'd want you dead." Luther mumbled, sighing sadly. Maki scoffed, swinging her ponytail back. "What I want to know is why she would go after you and not someone like me, or Sataka." Maki stated with a huff and Maria glared at her. "Don't even get started." Maria said and walked on ahead with the others. After they got Shashek's permission to enter the temple, they ran in, intent on saving Palo. "You know the formation everyone, gather around Maki!" Maria shouted to her friends as they ran in, Para going on ahead.

They went through monsters with ease but they were surprised that the beautiful temple held thousands of vicious monsters. From what Para told them, the Temple was sacred and that it kept evil at bay; preventing anyone or anything from harming their lands. But even he seemed shaken by the violent energy that swirled within the temple. They quickly defeated Kelosa, nearly being killed by the corrupted Golem Gate Keeper but were able to survive due to Maria's power, and Maki's quick casting. As they headed deeper in, this time more slowly, Maria couldn't help the weird feeling of Deja-vu that flitted about her mind. The place…it looked familiar for some reason, like it was from her dreams.

 _ **-Flashback- Fire flitted about the building as a group of Templars, Maria and Akane ran up the stairway and entered through a long pair of doors, quickly defeating the demon within. As Anya, Bishop, Victoria, Alex, a reaper and Maria's group dealt with smaller demons, Maria, Akane and Andre walked toward the stairs, each one worried.**_

 _ **Suddenly flames shot toward the others, killing them; even as Maria and Akane screamed for the others to stand. Reinhardt walked toward them as a Red Cube floated behind him. Suddenly, Andre was killed and as Akane and Maria defeated Reinhardt, they were about to leave when suddenly Maria was lifted into the air by some weird force and Akane was taken to the ground by some odd pressure. Then everything went black as the real Reinhardt came out of the Cube with his Eidolon. -Flashback end-**_

Maria shivered as the dream ended, remembering it clearly. It appeared every now and then but never too vivid and NEVER when she was awake. Groaning, she shook her head, trying to rid herself of the weird feeling, when suddenly they heard a voice up ahead. "Is that Para?" Maki questioned, wondering what was going on. "Hey, aren't you the Sacred Unicorn who guards this place?" They heard Para state as they ran up the stairway to see what was going on. "AH! You attacked me?! Hey, I'm not the enemy here!" They heard Para scream and entered a scene where multiple gems floated around in a circle.

In that circle was Para, who was fighting a beautiful white, blue and yellow unicorn. It had a long blue horn, with golden hooves and a white body, its blue mane had gold slashing's in it. The odd thing was the red eyes, it was obviously corrupted; especially when the gems turned red from their original blue and yellow arcs hit Para. Maria jumped into action, telling Maki and Sataka to stay as far back as possible. "Darius, you and the others are to hit from afar. Akina hit upfront with me every now and then, Luther you do the same. Kavar, protect the others, don't let them get hurt." Maria ordered and everyone took positions.

Maki, Sataka, Darius, Lilliana and Toraka circled the area with Kavar protecting Maki; after they knocked the gems over, began shooting or chanting off attacks, sometimes missing, sometimes hitting. "What is this thing?!" Maria shouted to Para, who grunted as he dodged an attack. "His name is Saint Hale, he protects this temple; or he did at one point. GRAH!" Para hit Saint Hale away, even as Akina spun her axe, a small vortex of flame hitting Saint Hale. A shot hit Saint Hale in the chest, before Luther and Maria slashed him along the sides, causing Saint Hale to collapse but it stood back up…limping.

Maria didn't want to kill him but the sorrow in the unicorn's eyes told Maria to end him. "I'll finish this." Maria said, glowing blue. Everyone backed off as the unicorn was sealed in place by Sataka, who also backed off. "By the power of the cube, the power bestowed upon us Envoy's," Maria glowed brighter and the aura seemed to solidify around her swords. Maria slowly raised her swords, eyes neutral with emotion. "Grant us the ability to defeat our foes and end the corruption within our enemies. Destroy this evil!" Maria shouted, eyes glowing as she swung her swords downwards, two blue arcs heading toward Saint Hale. The unicorn closed his eyes, and the two arcs hit, defeating him and he disappeared.

Maria sighed sadly as the dust settled, then soon smiled softly, she had seen it when she defeated the unicorn, Saint Hale had been grateful he had been defeated. "What was that?!" Lilliana asked in awe, eyes wide and sparkling. "I..I don't know, something from the cube I'm guessing." Maria said unsure, unaware of Sachi's shocked look. _'She's able to use the power of the cube without even realizing it. Just how much power does our Envoy truly have?'_ Sachi wondered, eyes wide. As they went to move further, Para used the orb he was given to reactivate the temple's defense and smiled as everything seemed to glow with magic again.

"Alright, that should do it." He said, before turning toward the stairs the led to the top of the temple. "Let's go ahead and figure out-AH!" Para stopped as he was suddenly bound. "Para?" Maria asked worried, before seeing dark crystals float down and lock Para in place. "Oh no!" Sataka shouted and began looking through her book, trying to find a spell to free him. "Maria, you and Darius should go on ahead, let us help Para." Lilliana stated, readying her bow. "B-but what a-about-?" Maria was cut off as Darius grabbed her arm.

"Come on, we don't have time to spare. We have to save Para and Palo, the Tears of Ares should be ahead, as well as the device that's keeping Para in place." Darius said and she submitted, following him in further. They appeared at the top and looked around…nothing seemed too odd. It looked like a small meadow of some sort, or maybe a garden. Suddenly the sound of crackling energy was heard and Sachi gulped. "That's never a good sign." Darius said, looking ahead, as did Maria and a portal appeared.

Suddenly what looked like an angel appeared, except his wings were black and his armor was black and purple. He looked at Maria, Darius, and Sachi before he started laughing. "Hahaha, this is what they send to stop me?" He questioned, obviously not amused. "This is a joke, I'll kill you easily and you shall fear my name!" The large angel said, before he began shooting dark energy at them, even as smaller versions of him appeared, shooting off dark energy every now and then.

"Oh, is that so?" Maria growled out, dodging the energy thrown at them. "Then what is your name so I can carve in on your headstone!" Maria shouted, charging him and try to hit him. "Fredric, the fallen angel. And what is your name?" Fredric asked as he threw Maria back, Darius caught her before glaring at Fredric. "Maria, Sachi and Darius; and this is your goodbye!" Darius shouted, shooting off a few rounds at him. Fredric dodged and threw off multiple attacks of dark energy at them but missed. Maria ran toward him, swords glowing green as she quickly used **Cross Slash** , before she used **Whirling Dance** , the blades purple this time as she had used **Lightening Dance**.

Fredric growled as he grabbed Maria and threw her into a pillar, making her groan. Fredric's attention was taken off Maria as Darius shot off a normal round, before he used **Cannon Salvo** and immediately used **Icy Grenade** right afterwards. Fredric went to strike at him but Darius used his canon to block the attack but the force threw him into a pillar as well. An audible _crack_ was heard as Darius's left side connected with the pillar, before he hit the ground, grabbing his arm in pain. "Darius!" Maria shouted, running over to him, even as Sachi and Saari went to stop Fredric. "Darius, are you okay?" Maria asked as she helped him sit up.

"Y-" A cough interrupted his sentence, before he took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'll be fine, don't worry about me." Darius said, giving Maria a thumbs up with his good arm. "The hell you are, your left arm is broken." Maria said in worry, before looking toward Fredric and growling. "Stay put." She ordered Darius, who growled as Maria went back to fight Fredric. The fight didn't last long though, seeing as Fredric wasn't too strong after Maria used more of her Gaian power. When Fredric fell, the portal changed as it went from purple and black to being blue and white and this time white winged angels appeared.

Maria watched in awe as the leader approached her, unaware Para and the rest of her group appeared. The leader reached a hand toward Maria, before he opened his hand and laying in it was the Tears of Ares. Maria looked at the leader in shock and when he nodded Maria smiled. She held her hands out, allowing him to give it to her. After she obtained the item, he nodded to the others and slowly disappeared. "Para, here give this to Palo." Maria said, handing Para the Tears of Ares, who smiled at her gratefully as they left the temple. "Thank you Maria…without your help, I never would've been able to do this." Para said, and Maria smiled at him.

"Don't worry about it. I was glad to help, for while one might think they are strong enough, people are stronger when their united together. Relying on others is a strength itself, because it means you know your limits; and in the ends it helps you create bonds with people who will do everything to help you." Maria said as she walked ahead, her smile never leaving. They entered the village and quickly found Leo Ryan, Shalen, Tatiana, and a few others waiting for them. As they walked toward them, Shalen was given the Tears of Ares who was shocked they even had it.

"Shalen, quickly give that to my son!" Leo said and Shalen nodded as she hastily left to heal Palo. Leo visibly sighed in relief, before looking at Maria and smiling. "Maria, I thank you for helping Para get the Tears of Ares, for helping my foolish, foolish son. But I thank you from the bottom of my heart." Leo said, before he nodded to himself as he thought of something. "I have an announcement to make!" Leo shouted, gathering everyone's attention. "I have my successor, my second son, Para Ryan is the new Chief; he has done a great deed in sealing the temple and bringing peace back to Wrathborne Temple." Leo shouted, before smiling at Maria again.

"And from this moment onward, we are allied with the Church in Naeva; for an Envoy by the name of Maria has gone through many trials to match up to us. We are indebted to her for saving Palo Ryan's life, for bringing light to my third son Odum and for bringing peace back to our lands. If any are in objection it will be considered treason!" Leo shouted and everyone cheered at the new alliance and the successor. Maria giggled before looking at Para, who looked back at her, smiling. "Congrats Para!" Maria said to Para, smiling at him. "I couldn't have done it without you; you also have our allegiance." Para said, patting her shoulders.

"It's all thanks to you." Maria said, confusing him. "Without you giving me a chance, I couldn't have proven myself to your people. So, thank you in return." Maria said, tilting her head in a bow and Para smiled as Tatiana came over. Maria turned to looked at Odum's beloved, smiling at the female Makar. "Maria, I must thank you for shedding light on what happened with Odum and helping me defeat Micha. I couldn't have done it without you." Tatiana said and hugged Maria, who hugged back. "Won't you stay for the celebration?" Leo asked as he walked over and Maria chuckled. "As much as we'd love to your Highness, we have to get going." Maria said, determination in her eyes, yet the smile remained.

Kavar came up beside her, speaking the rest for her. "There are still two more places we have to head to if we hope to make sure we're ready for the Shadow Knight. But thank you for everything." Kavar said, bowing to show his respect and Leo chuckled. "Ah yes, the obligations handed on us for ours roles. Well then, thank you once again." Leo said and Maria nodded as they left for Navea.

 **Navea:** As they entered Navea, they were unaware of a pair of purple eyes watching them, mainly staring at Maria as she spoke to the others. They went to the Inn and Maria with Sachi and Saari head to the Church, making the person smile. The person jumped off the building they were on and stalked Maria, since it was night it was easier to move around without being seen; yet her two Eidolons caused a problem. _**"Maria…someone is following us."**_ The voice of Sachi sounded in Maria's head, the tone worried and Maria nodded…she knew.

Maria tensed as she felt energy swirl and jumped right as a ice-ball past her. Maria grabbed one sword and threw it toward an alleyway but all that she heard was the _clank_ as the sword connected with a stone wall. Maria ran toward the alleyway but saw nothing even as Sachi used her staff to light the way and Maria sighed. "It felt like the energy of that one woman who attacked you at Ventos Prairie." Saari observed and Maria nodded. "It did but I wonder why she's here; why does she want my life?" Maria asked herself as they continued toward the Church.

"It could be due to the high amount of power within you, seeing as your able to handle both me and Saari." Sachi suggested, but Maria shrugged. She entered the Church and told Belenus of what happened, explaining everything that happened at the village and at the temple. She then told Belenus of the weird dream she had, which seemed to concern both Belenus and Gus as they tensed. She then told them that an ambassador should be arriving soon to speak of the alliance. "Thank you for what you've done Maria. The Makar will be a great ally to us during this time, we need their strength and help as much as possible." Belenus stated and Maria nodded. "That I agree with, they seemed to be readying themselves for everything that might get thrown at them. Where should I head next?" Maria asked, curious.

"Really that would be up to you…but, we seem to need someone at Oblitus Woods immediately. I would send Akane so you can meet with her but no one can seem to contact her." Belenus said, slightly worried and Maria hummed. "She's probably doing a few things for Port Skandia, I'd leave her be. I can get my group together and we can head down there and fix things up." Maria suggested, and Belenus chuckled. "Alright then. Here, you'll need this so you won't get attacked." Belenus said, throwing Maria a badge, which she caught and she nodded as she left.


	17. Oblitus Woods

**Okay, so Oblitus Woods will not have as much too it as I HATED that place. I mean I absolutely loathed that place...and I don't even know why. Might've been the fact that it was creepier than the other places in Aura Kingdom. Ugh...*shiver* still don't like it. Oh well, it's a required place to go to in Aura Kingdom so I must bare it. ...Why that place though? T^T  
Well...without further ado...the story.**

[~~~~~*~~~~~] 

Maria and the group walked up the stairs towards the Fortress, watching as people huddle close together and Maria nearly started crying at the sight. Everyone was wounded, some seemed homeless; it was obvious something horrible had happened not too long ago. "Things don't look to be going too well here Maria, especially with the withering forest." Darius observed, looking toward the dying trees. Maria nodded as Akina looked around, observing everything with sadness. "Let's get information on the situation, and then figure out what we should do." Akina stated and they all nodded.

"I liked Ventos Prairie better than this place." Maki commented, Toraka nodded as he agreed with her. "I agree with you there, this place is horrible." Toraka said, straightening his suit. Sataka snorted at them, obviously unamused. "You two are such babies." She growled to them, making them go pale as they reached the Commander at the Fortress, Carrick. "Are you Commander Carrick?" Maria asked the veteran warrior before her, who nodded. "My name is Maria, we were-!" Maria was cut off as she showed her badge, when Carrick growled at her.

"I know who you are, you don't need to tell me; I was given word ahead that you were coming." He snapped out and Maria flinched back in shock; he was hostile. "I keep telling Navea that we need more soldiers out here, the situation grows worse every day, and what do I get?! A blacksmith with a small carriage, and a bunch of inexperienced kids." Carrick spat out, glaring at the group. "Inexperienced?!" Kavar shouted, offended. "Kids?!" Maki exclaimed, glaring at Carrick. "Shut up you two!" Maria shouted at them, and they growled but kept quiet. "If you think you'll be help, go talk to Lawrence, he might have something for you." Carrick said and waved them off, grabbing a report.

They walked toward Lawrence who was a lot nicer and glad that they were here. After they were given assignments, they went about their way to do their job. The job wasn't too hard, they had to kill a few Sasquack to get there pelt but needed to remove the thorns. It wasn't too hard and they did a few more jobs like that, when suddenly someone came running in. "Is there anyone free at the moment!" A soldier shouted, and Maria and her group ran toward him. "What happened?" Maria asked, and the soldier looked at her worried.

"Me and my partner are in charge or protecting VIP's but the person we were supposed to protect ran off to a nearby village, stating she could help. We had no time to react." The person stated, and Maria looked at her team and nodded. "We can go and look for her. Who where you protecting?" Maria asked but the soldier looked at her, gaze wary. "Why should I tell you?" He questioned, bringing a hand to his sword, holding the hilt tightly. "You don't look like soldiers." The guy stated, thus making Maria sigh. "My name is Maria and this is Darius, Lilliana, Sataka, Toraka, Akina, Luther, Kavar, Maki and Sachi." Maria said and the soldier's eyes widened; he immediately let go of his sword.

"Maria?! You're Maria?!" He questioned and she nodded, a little shocked at his outburst. "I've heard so much about you from Anya and Analisa; in fact that was our VIP, blacksmith Analisa." The soldier stated and Maria smiled. "We'll go look for her, you stay tight." Maria said and he nodded, a relieved sigh passing his lips. "If anyone can find her, it'd be you and your group. Also, my partner Zack, went to help Analisa. If you could, could you find him as well? I'm worried about him but I'm just one person." The soldier stated and Maria nodded as her and her group ran off to do their job.

 **Month Later, Elsewhere:** A male gasped as he shot up, breathing heavily, before he groaned rubbing his head. "Damn, that same dream again." The guy mumbled as he looked up at the gray sky. "The sky is never blue anymore…it's upsetting to see Oblitus Woods still withering after all this time." The guy stated before grunting as he stood, then he grabbed a thin long sword, strapping it to his side. He walked around the withering forest; before he stopped by a tree and placed a hand upon it, seeing a small carving. It read 'M &S' and a gentle smile graced the guys lips as his golden eyes looked at the carving.

Sighing with a shake of his head, he continued further in before coming upon broken, dusty, old ruins and growled, seeing multiple zombies. "Damn…they're everywhere!" The guy shouted to him, before one charged him as it saw him. The guy brought out his yellow, long sword and charged at it, before ripping through it as his sword glowed red. When it fell down, he looked at his sword and sighed. _'Being a Ronin is useful and my tachi reacted stronger than normal. Must be because of my dream and my emotions still raw.'_ The guy, a Ronin, thought as he strapped his sword back to his back.

He walked around the ruins again, killing anything that tried to stop him, before leaning against a tree and closing his eyes. His mind shifted to memories of a medium length, black haired girl with sparkling blue eyes and wearing a blue dress. She spun around, holding a younger version of himself, both laughing and smiling as they spun around. Sighing, he opened his eyes and stared into space, not sure what to do. "Been searching for her for over fifteen years…where is she?" The Ronin questioned himself, confused. He didn't understand, even if she was still with THAT group...wouldn't he have at least heard about her by now, or have at least seen her?

Suddenly he heard voices and straightened himself, looking around with slight confusion? Who was stupid enough to be wandering around this place? Leaning away from the tree, he walked toward the sounds; soon realizing there was more than one person. As he rounded a corner he saw a ranger shoot a zombie, before running toward a small group and sticking closer to a Grenadier who patted her head. He studied each of them, realizing each was a different class; which was interesting. He saw a Bard with sandy brown hair use a tune on her harp, healing the party before looking at the Grenadier affectionately; but the Grenadier had his attention on the duelist. Looking toward the left of the bard, he saw a red-haired Guardian wearing gold armor and realized he was from the Church. Beside the Guardian was a Gunslinger who was currently fixing his gun.

Suddenly a voice interrupted him looking further. "Aunt Sataka, what do you think about this entrance?" The ranger asked a blonde woman and the Ronin narrowed his eyes as the sorcerer…he knew her. "Generally I believe this is, indeed, the place where the withering of the forest is coming from." She responded, before turning her head to her left. "Luther, what do you think?" The sorcerer, Sataka asked, looking at the white haired brawler. "I don't know but I think so. What about you Akina?" The brawler, Luther, asked the Ravager beside him. "I don't know, nor do I care." She responded with a smirk, teeth showing.

"What I do know is that I wanna slice somethin' in half." The ravager, Akina stated gruffly, slamming her axe into the ground to emphasize her point. This caused the Grenadier to chuckle softly. "Well you certainly seem ready." He stated, his arm around a braided, black haired girl's waist. "Maria, what do you think?" A pink-haired Eidolon asked, making the Ronin's eyes widen. He knew about Eidolon's, had seen a few during his travels; anyone would know an Eidolon when they see one. The girl turned toward the group, allowing the Ronin to see her face and he barely suppressed a gasp. It was her, the girl he'd been searching for over fifteen years, and there she was, in front of him.

"Well…I think Ghostweep cave is indeed the core of the withering of this forest. And if it is, then we have no choice but to stop it; I won't let anyone else get hurt because of the dying land." Maria said and everyone nodded. The Ronin smiled softly, she still held a soft edge to her voice; despite her obvious leadership skills. "Alright, so a new formation is needed seeing as these things figured us out." She said with a scoff and the Ronin failed in suppressing a smirk; she definitely sounded annoyed.

"Maki, stay beside Kavar; don't worry about attacking, just focus on healing. Kavar, you just worry about keeping Maki safe, don't worry about attacking unless you two are attacked, stay close to the group." She said, before backing to the left a little to look at Luther and Akina. "Luther, Akina, you two will be with me near the front; don't let anything get past our defense." Maria told them and earned a slam into the ground again from Akina's axe as she laughed. "About time to hear something like that, was waiting for it." Akina said and Maria laughed, rolling her eyes amused before she turned her attention to Darius and the others.

"Darius, Toraka, stay near Lilliana and Sataka, near the back of the group. Sachi, Saari, I expect you two to dance around the area and attack from all angles and try not to get hit." Maria said and the two Eidolon's nodded. After that was said, the group ran in but Maria stopped just before entering and sighed. "This forest…it looks familiar but it's so dead. Why do I feel like this was home at one point." Maria mumbled to herself, before fully going inside. Once they were in, the guy walked from his hiding spot and headed toward the entrance, before looking at it and smiling. So, Maria was alive and was here.

"Heh, seems my little sister is planning to save Oblitus Woods with just the help of her friends." He said before taking his sword of his back, holding it tightly. "Well, as a big brother, I can't let her go in there and possibly get hurt, now can I?" The guy asked himself with a smile, before he followed them inside.

 **Ghostweep Cave:** Maria and her team were automatically ambushed when they entered, a swarm of bloodthirsty bats attacked, as did poisonous lizards; quickly outnumbering them. It would've been easy if the lizards hadn't joined but once the scent of blood reached them, they joined the attack. Maria grunted as she dodged a bat, before turning to look at the ranger. "Lilliana, get the ones above!" Maria shouted, barely dodging being bitten by a lizard. "Kavar!" Maki shouted as one came from the side but he quickly killed it.

Maria growled as she was, unknowingly taken from the group but when she realized, it was too late. Turning around she saw her group alright, yet she was surrounded. "Maria!" Darius shouted as he realized what happened. Maria gasped and stabbed one, before she was taken to the ground by another, growling as she struggled to stand. One bite her arm and she gave a cry of pain, continuing her struggle in trying to stand. Suddenly a sword came from nowhere, slicing the one on Maria in half, before the corpse was kicked off her. When Maria looked up, she saw a boy a few years older than her stand over her protectively, sword drawn and ready.

"Don't you dare harm her, you hear me?!" The guy shouted to the monsters, his gold eyes a molten gold color. _'He looks like me.'_ Maria thought, seeing the long black hair in a ponytail, wearing dragon-like armor, with gold eyes and a tachi in hand. _'He's a Ronin…but how did he know we were here?'_ Maria wandered, slowly sitting up. _'No one just decides to enter this cave for the heck of it and why is he even here? Who is he?'_ Maria wandered, staring at the Ronin in shock. Suddenly two lizards attacked and the Ronin's sword glowed red, before he slashed upwards, then slammed them down.

Maria recognized that move as **Brilliant Dragon Flash** , seeing as the enemies were both burned and stunned, then he finished them off as his sword glowed blood red and killed them off with **Dragon's Fury**. After they were killed, he look ahead, seeing that Maria's group had finished off their enemy. He turned toward Maria and held a hand out, giving her a smile. "Glad I was on time." He said with a chuckle but Maria just tilted her head at him. "Who…who are you?" Maria stuttered out as he helped her up. His eyes widened...she didn't remember? "Y-you mean you don't remember me?" He questioned, slightly shocked.

"S-should I?" Maria asked worried, gold eyes holding confusion. "Maria, it's me, Satako; your older brother." The Ronin, Satako, stated as he gripped her shoulders. Maria's eyes went wide and did the others. "WHAT?!" Everyone, except Sataka, exclaimed shocked. "I thought I recognized you." Sataka said and when Satako looked at her, he growled and stood before Maria protectively again. "Why are you here? Trying to separate us again?" Satako questioned, a threat in his voice as he raised his tachi. "Hardly." Sataka said as she crossed her arms, face one of unamusement. "If you haven't notice I quit that lab but it seems your unaware of that fact." She said, before her eyes travelled to his stomach.

"How long have you been wondering around with that gash?" Sataka asked, worry in her voice; yet he simply growled as he glared at her. "That's none of your business when it was your assistant's that tried to kill me as you took Maria away from me." Satako said as he kept his stance and Sataka sighed. "What's going on?" Maria asked and Satako looked at her. "You seriously don't remember me?" He asked, yet she shook her head and he sighed, lowering his tachi as he looked at her neck.

"Then do you know where you got that from?" Satako asked as he pointed to the locket around her neck and she glanced at it. "I can't remember anything from before I turned five, most of my-" Maria stopped mid sentence as she felt pain rocket in her head. "AH!" She exclaimed, suddenly gripping her head in pain. "Maria!" Satako and Darius shouted as Satako held her arms and Darius held her shoulders.

 _ **-Flashback- A young girl laughed as a boy about twelve years old spun the girl around, laughing with her. When they stopped spinning, the girl who looked to be about four years old tried walking only to fall down and laugh at how dizzy she was. She stood up with the help of the boy, when the boy held a necklace to her.**_

 _ **"Here, take this. I made it for you yesterday as I missed your birthday." He said, before handing it to her. "Sorry." The boy said but the black haired, blue eyed girl only smiled. "It's okay big brother, I forgive you. Besides, this is beautiful!" The girl said, before she put it on. "Thank you!" She said, before she hugged the boy. -Flashback end-**_

Maria was shaking when the memory ended, staring at the ground. "Wh-what…was that...?" Maria asked herself, gold eyes wide. "What was it?" Darius asked and she looked at him, eyes still wide. "T-there was this green forest and some boy and girl were there, spinning and laughing. The boy looked like you Satako, but the girl…I-I don't know." Maria said, lowering her arms from her head. Satako sighed, kneeling to her and gently rubbing her head. "That's a memory Maria, it was back when this forest was still green. Over fifteen years ago, I meet you outside the cottage my parents left me when I heard a strong crash." He said as he slowly stood.

"As I walked around, I found you and brought you back to heal you up so you could live. After a while, you woke up but you couldn't remember anything except your name. Afterwards, you started calling me your older brother and I started calling you my little sister. That necklace your wearing is from me, I made it for you about a year after you had been living with me." Satako explained and Maria looked at him confused. "B-but how?" She questioned, before standing and gripping his upper arms in confusion. "The girl in t-that memory, s-she had blue eyes and I-I…" Maria stopped, unsure of what to say. Satako's eyes hardened as he remembered the day she disappeared.

"You originally had blue eyes but after BAT got a hold of you, your eyes changed color because of the experiment's they did." Satako said, glaring at Sataka and she tensed. "How do you know I'm the girl you're looking for?" Maria questioned one last time and he smirked at her, once again looking at the necklace. "Because no other girl has that necklace, the same look in her eyes, nor do they have an Eidolon." He said, shocking her as she glanced at Sachi, before looking back at him. "The moment I found you, I could tell something was special about you and now I know what that powerful feeling I felt around you was." Satako explained as he looked at Sachi, who smiled at him.

"So, you're the guy who protected Maria for so long; I can tell you're not lying about any of this." Sachi said and smiled at Maria. "While you two may not be related by blood, he's the closest to family you've got aside from me and Saari." Sachi said and Maria looked at him, before tears sprung as another memory hit; this time of her sitting with him and laughing. A feeling overcame her as she gave a soft blue glow, seeming to remember all her memories with him, before she sniffled. "Brother!" Maria shouted and hugged Satako, making him laugh. "About time your remembered me." Satako said as he hugged back.

Everyone smiled as the scene played before them, even as Darius and Lilliana smiled to one another; they knew what it was like to see old family member's again. "So, what're you all doing here?" Satako asked, deciding to figure out what they were doing when Maria pointed further into the cave. "We're finding out what exactly has been going on within Oblitus Woods and find out why the forest was dying." She explained, before backing up. "We soon found out that Oblitus Woods was dying because something was causing the land to die, soon finding out that the decay was coming from Ghostweep Cave." She explained further, grabbing his swords and strapping them to her sides.

"Whatever is in here is using energy within the land to bring the dead back to life and we intend to put a stop to that." Maria said as she smiled in determination and he chuckled, she hadn't changed one bit. "I'll tag along then." Satako said and Maria looked at him slightly shocked. "Pardon?" Maria asked, raising a brow. "I'll tag along." He repeated him, smirking at her. "Besides, I can't let my little sister wander around in here and possibly get killed." He said, before crossing his arms. "Even though you have lots of friends, I wouldn't be your big brother if I didn't come along." Satako said as he poked her forehead and she chuckled. "Alright then, welcome to the team." Maria said and hugged him again and he just chuckled.

They continued further in, defeating anything in their way and using their old formation with a new member added. Maki was in the center of the group, chanting off healing spells; Kavar and Akina were at the front of the group, killing anything that got too close. Toraka and Darius hid behind anything they could and shot off rounds at anything that approached the side of the group; while Lilliana and Sataka stayed near the back of the group, picking things off from afar. Maria, Luther and Satako danced around the area, hitting anything they could from behind and possibly finishing it off before it could turn around. Unaware to the group a woman with blue eyes watched the group worriedly, hoping they would be okay. As she saw Maria get saved by a shot from Darius, she smiled…glad the young Envoy would be okay. Suddenly she felt a dark energy coursing from a village far away and disappeared, gold sparkles left in her teleportation.

"Alright, let's go!" Maria shouted as she glowed blue for a split second and they charged further in. They reached the top of a staircase, when suddenly Maria was thrown into a pillar by wind and looking ahead, the group saw the blue haired wizard, Sandra. "You again!" Kavar shouted, glaring at the woman. "Sandra, stop it! Maria is not an enemy!" Luther shouted, trying to talk some sense into her. "Luther, why don't you kill her?" Sandra said, turning dark purple eyes on him. "What do you mean?" He questioned, confused by her question. "Certainly you realize how powerful she is, correct?" She questioned, almost as if she were trying to get him to understand something.

"If I can kill her, imagine how powerful I could become, I would be unstoppable." Sandra said, her purple eyes showing greed for power. "Not on my watch lady!" Darius shouted and used **Plasma Cannon** , the thunder heading toward Sandra. "Darius, stop!" Luther shouted, worried for Sandra. "Why?!" Darius shouted angry, unaware Sandra absorbed the power with her staff. "Because that's Sandra, my childhood friend. I've known her since I was a kid; she wouldn't do something like this." Luther explained, before blocking a **Fireball** attack from Sandra.

"Then why is she attacking you?" Darius shouted, before he ran toward Maria and helped her up. "Maria, you okay?" Darius asked and she nodded with a groan. "Ugh, y-yeah, I'll be fine." Maria said as she slowly stood and Darius use his cannon to block an ice-ball. "Stop attacking my Envoy!" Sachi shouted and began shooting off ice-spears toward Sandra. Sandra tried to absorb the attack with her staff but gasped as the ice hit her. Why couldn't she absorb it? Sandra looked at Sachi, before realizing that was the spiritual being that was following Maria.

Sandra jumped out of the way as another ice ball flew toward her, before she began shooting off thunder, trying to break the ice and hit the group. Kavar gasped and used **Defensive Posture** , everyone suddenly having shields appear around them that helped block the thunder. Sandra growled, before she used **Meteor Shot** and everyone gasped as the flaming rock headed toward them. "How are we going to block that?!" Lilliana shouted and Maria growled. Maria ran forward and looked up, knowing what she had to do. "By the power of the Cube of Gaia, let my friends and allies be shielded!" Maria shouted, glowing blue as she threw her hands up.

Suddenly what looked to be blue crystal slowed formed over the group and covered them as the meteor hit the shield. They were shocked as they looked at Maria, only to see her eyes closed; sweating and panting, arms shaking as she strained to keep the shield over them. Sandra seemed shocked, before she growled with a curse and disappeared, done for the day. As the attacked ended, Maria collapsed and Darius caught her as she panted, leaning against him; trying to regain her breath.

"You okay Maria?" Satako asked as he knelt toward the two and she gave a small nod, the shield slowly disappearing. "Y-yeah, just let m-me r-regain my…breath." Maria said, taking deep lungfuls of air. "What I want to know is why the Sandra girl keeps attacking us." Maki stated, huffing in anger as she crossed her arms. Luther sighed, rubbing his head as he sheathed his claws. "For some reason that even I can't comprehend, she wants Maria's life for the 'spiritual' power Maria possess, in which it's just Gaian power." Luther stated as he walked toward the group. "Yes, we know that; but does she really have to continuously attack us for that?" Akina questioned, axe slung over shoulders.

Toraka looked over and shrugged. "She might believe that she has to kill us to get to Maria, which I can't say I'm surprised. I'd rather die before I let something happen to our Envoy." Toraka commented and Sataka nodded, showing she understood his reasoning. "I agree with you there. I'd rather die before I let someone kill Maria; I nearly lost her once, I won't DARE lose her for real." Sataka stated and they nodded. Satako seemed wary of Sataka's intention's but ignored it in favor of helping Maria rest for a bit. He didn't understand Sataka; she helped BAT take Maria away and use her, why would she suddenly want to help?

Soon Maria was ready to keep going and they quickly found Tafay Chief, Tobin, who knew about the corrupted energy within the cave. Maria remembered that her group had gone to the Tafay Village when they thought the Dwarves were the cause for the forest dying and soon learned about the zombies and the cave. Apparently, Tafay Chief Tobin believed that the energy within the cave could be used to help the forest and power their machines, seeing as Dwarves used energy from nature to power their devices as they tried to be one with nature. Tobin was unaware of how unstable to energy was, so when he entered the cave, he realized how bad the situation was and tried to help close the cave, yet he didn't know how.

After Maria and her group got the information they needed, she looked up; seeing a dark portal swirling and growled, knitting her brows together. "Chief Tobin, please return to your village. Me and my friends will seal up the cave after we defeat whatever monstrosity it is that's cause the decay of your forest." She said, before bringing her swords out. "But please, return to Tafay Village, your people are worried about you." Maria said and Tobin hesitated, thinking things over. "Are you sure you'll be okay?" Tobin questioned, concern in his voice.

"Yes, we'll be fine; now please go!" Maria shouted, before she went up the stairs on the right, her group following as Tobin left the cave. Upon reaching the top of the stairs, they were soon on a circular platform and in the middle was a black fog and portal, each generating dark energy. Suddenly the portal began to crackle with lightning and Maria gasped as the zombies began to cry out in pain, slowly morphing. They suddenly transformed into red, winged demons with glowing yellow eyes; when a larger demon came out, covered in scars, large black wings, dark red body and bright red eyes that glowed.

"Hahaha, I see our guests have arrived!" The larger demon said, pointing at Maria and her group. "Yes, we have; now greet us!" Maria shouted, glaring darkly at the demon; he laughed. "My name is Talen, the Duke of the Beyond and I'm your host tonight. And it looks like we're all ready, so let the fun begin!" Talen shouted, raising his hands as a sword suddenly began to form and dropped into his hand. Maria's group went into action and attacked the small demons while Maria, Sachi and Saari went after Talen; who smirked at them and attacked. Maria jumped over Talen before she landed on his shoulders, wrapped her legs around his neck and stabbed her swords into his chest making his growl in pain.

 _'That did nothing to him?'_ Saari thought, slightly shocked. _'Let's see if this does something!'_ Saari thought as a blast of light came from her sword, hitting Talen square in the face. Maria jumped off Talen before he could grab her as he failed about and Sachi began shooting off ice, hoping to freeze him in place. Maria landed beside Saari, before nodding at her Eidolon and the two charged toward Talen, both glowing blue. When they neared him Maria jumped on Saari's shield, who flung her shield toward Talen, cutting into his skin and leveling Maria with his head.

Maria raised her swords and was about to slice his throat when he grabbed her. "You think continuously stabbing me in the chest will kill me? I'm already dead young Envoy, so don't think I have a heart." Talen said and Maria squirmed in pain. _'Why is he moving? He should be frozen.'_ Maria thought, looking around and gasped as she saw Sachi and Saari unconscious. "Sachi! Saari!" Maria shouted and struggled to free herself. Darius growled as he heard Maria's screamed and turned only, only to gasp in horror at seeing Maria caught and her two Eidolon's unconscious. "No, Maria!" Darius shouted, before screaming as he was hit away by a demon. "Darius!" Lilliana shouted and ran to help him.

Everyone soon began losing the upper hand as more demons appeared and surrounded everyone; slowly but surely overpowering them all. Maria began to fear the worst…what if this was their end? She tried to struggle more, even tried calling upon the power she knew she had within her but it was futile; she kept feeling a power blocking hers. Suddenly a roar resounded throughout the area, causing the demons to stop and Maria with her group to freeze in fear. "What was that?" Talen questioned as the area darkened. Suddenly one demon cried out in pain as they were killed and they saw glowing green eyes staring at them all and slight glimpses of gold.

This worried Talen; who would enter a place like this and darken it? Suddenly another demon was killed, freeing Sataka and then Toraka as two more were killed. Talen didn't know what to do as his minions were killed off one by one and as Saari and Sachi slowly regained consciousness. Suddenly the area brightened again and hovering before Talen and Maria was a purple and pink serpent with wings and gold armor covering his head and hands. His green eyes glared at Talen and when the serpent opened its mouth, it glowed green as well and some venom dripped from its mouth.

"Y-you are Quelkulan, the miasmic serpent!" Talen shouted in shock, when suddenly Quelkulan wrapped his body around Talen. "Yes and this is your end for trying to kill an Envoy!" Quelkulan shouted as he squeezed his body harder around Talen. Talen let Maria go as he clawed at Quelkulan's body, trying to get the serpent to let go but it was useless as Quelkulan suddenly struck, sinking his venomous fangs into Talen's shoulder; poisoning the demon. When Talen went limp in Quelkulan's grasp, he looked at Saari who nodded and sliced Talen's throat, making sure the demon was dead.

Quelkulan dropped Talen as he began to catch on fire and turned to ash, shocking the group as Talen burned. Maria groaned as she stood up and Quelkulan helped her as he slithered toward her, using his arms to push her up. "Thank you…Q-Quel…Quelane?" Maria questioned, a brow raised and Quelkulan chuckled. "It's Quelkulan, young Envoy; though I understand that my name is a mouthful." Quelkulan said and Maria gave a small apologetic smile. "So...it's Quelkulan?" She asked and he nodded and she hummed, crossing her arms. "What just happened Quelkulan? Do you know Talen, he seemed to know you?" Maria questioned as the group walked toward her.

"How did you kill him?!" Akina suddenly shouted, shock on her face; preventing Quelkulan from answering. "I've never seen a demon die like that, it's so odd." Kavar stated, trying to wrap his head around the fact that Talen turned to ash. "I knew Talen as all demon's know us Eidolon's and all us Eidolon's know the demons." Quelkulan stated, ignoring the others questions to answer Maria first. "How did you kill him though?" Akina asked, wanting to know what it was Quelkulan did exactly. "As my title states, I am a miasmic serpent; meaning I use poison to kill my enemies." He said, before shaking his whole body.

"It is easy to have a long body was well, as I can easily trap my enemies, allowing me to poison them as they cannot escape." He explained, before he looked at Maria. "Hm, it's interesting seeing an Envoy as strong as you, I have not meet many that are as strong as you." He said, slowly circling her, careful to not trap her with his body. "I also see purity and kindness, something that I have seen in very few Envoy's. And judging by how well you can handle Saari and Sachi, it proves that you are no ordinary Envoy." Quelkulan said as he looked at Saari and Sachi, both who smiled at him.

"If I may be so bold, may I ask to join you?" He asked her, shocking her. "I believe it is time I choose an Envoy who I shall vow myself to; an Envoy I believe can bring an end to the Shadow Knight, Reinhardt." Quelkulan said and Maria gasped. "You…want to be my Eidolon?" Maria asked and he nodded, making Maria smile softly afterward. Maria bowed in head in acknowledgement, agreeing. "Then I accept. I would be honored to have you as my Eidolon, Quelkulan." Maria said, unaware another group had appeared. "What's going on?" Analisa asked as she appeared with Odum, Leonard, Zack, Tobin, Dolan, the Varan Ambassador, a Varan Warrior and a few soldier's appeared.

Maria and Quelkulan ignored them, both glowing blue as a bond seemed to slowly form as Maria reached out a hand. A key formed in her outstretched hand and she clutched it toward her chest; the key disappearing into purple particles before they were absorbed into her body and a bright purple light shot forth, nearly blinding everyone. When the flash faded, Maria glowed blue slightly before the glow faded and she smiled as she opened her eyes; she was able to feel Quelkulan's contentment as he felt his bond with her.

Everyone had watched with wide eyes, even as Analisa shook with excitement before she exploded. "What was that?!" She exclaimed; awe and excitement was in her voice, making Maria smile at her softly. "I just formed a bond." Maria said as Saari disappeared and Sachi came up beside her, smiling. "That's my Envoy for you!" Sachi said as she hugged Maria, making Maria laugh. "Seems like we missed all the fun." Odum said and Maria smiled at him. "Sorry Odum, we were having too much 'fun'." Maria said, making everyone laugh.

"Next time leave some for us, we want to have a bit of fun too you know." Analisa mocked scolded, shaking a finger at Maria. "Sorry~!" Maria sang out and everyone laughed as they left the temple. Maria stopped though right before exiting, watching a everything seemed to quiet die and return to normal. She felt oddly at ease, glad to know that the forest would heal in due time, she just had to let it work it's way back to a natural state. She looked over at Sachi, who smiled softly at her and Maria returned the smile, finally leaving the cave. She knew things would be alright.

 **Next Week, Navea:** Maria waited for Belenus to speak after she gave her report about Oblitus Woods, Nudak Fortress. They had finished off any stragglers that didn't want to fall and had helped the Tafay Villagers get things settle, as well as moving the villagers from Nudak back to their rightful village as they had made a treaty with the Varan's Silverflash Tribe. Analisa was staying a little bit longer at Nudak, finishing up fortifications as was Odum, who wanted to help the people of Oblitus Woods get their lives back on track. Belenus looked at her after reading the report and hearing her story, he smiled.

"It seems you have done a great deed for us once again Maria and for that, I thank you." He said, bowing his head gratefully. "And it seems you had a benefit as well, seeing as you have made another Eidolon your friend. Think you can handle more?" Belenus joked and Maria giggled. "I fear if I handle any more than these three, I might become thirsty for power and lose control. I believe I'm fine with the three I have." Maria stated and Belenus nodded as he put the report down. "Alright then, I take it you and your group are heading to Sand Star Desert?" Belenus asked and Maria nodded.

"Yep, that's our next destination." She said, before she frowned slightly. "Has there been any word from Akane?" Maria asked, worried about the young white haired duelist. "I received word from her two weeks ago that she was taking care of a little problem but to not worry." He said, folding his hands together. "I know the young girl is capable to handling herself." Belenus said with a small smile and Maria sighed in relief, yet for some reason she felt uneasy. After promising to head out to Sand Star Desert as soon as possible, she headed back to the Inn, waiting for tomorrow to come.


	18. Sand Star Desert

Maria growled as she sliced down another Sand Owl warrior, growing tired of this battle. She and her group had arrived at Sand Star Desert about three and a half weeks ago and after they were hired as mercenaries, began to learn exactly what it was that was going on. Something called a Star Plan was currently in progress and they were trying to use this plan to uncover ancient ruins that held treasure of some sort. After some mercenaries were captured, Maria and her group had been dispatched to save them and ended up learning that a mercenary by the name of Floyd was wandering around the camp, trying to stop the leader. They had meet up with Floyd and had been alerted of what was going on.

Maria defeated the last warrior, before she turned around and saw something she thought she'd never see. "Is that…an Eidolon?" Maria asked herself as she stared at the being before her. He had four arms, was blue in color and had what looked like gold tattoos. He wore a red and gold hate, a red and blue outfit with gold trimming, green pants, red shoes, had a red and gold cape and looked at Maria with intense yellow eyes. Maria was unaware of a Sand Owl warrior coming up behind her, until the creature outstretched a hand and killed the warrior with some kind of beam. "It has been sometime, Maria." The creature said, surprising Maria.

"How do you know my name?" Maria asked confused, why did his power feel familiar? "Defeat me in battle, and I shall tell you." The creature said as he unsheathed four swords and attacked Maria, who fought back. The battle last longer than Maria thought but then again this was an Eidolon she was fighting. At first the sun was shining nicely over the land, the next minute its pitch black and it's slightly hard for her to make things out. Suddenly the Eidolon fell down and looked up as Maria stalked toward it, when it suddenly stood.

"I see even now I still can't defeat you. How lame!" A familiar voice rung out, shocking Maria. "It can't be…" Maria trailed off as a woman with long reddish/orange hair in a ponytail came it, blue eyes and wearing what looked like a thief's outfit. "Caroline?!" Maria shouted, shock on her face as her group finally reached her. "Caroline?" Darius questioned and looked ahead, seeing the spoken woman. "Geez, even after all this time, my Eidolon still can't beat you." Caroline sneered out, glaring at Maria. "What happened to you? I thought you wanted to be rid of your Eidolon." Maria stated, glaring back at her.

"Heh, after a while I realized how useful it was to have an Eidolon with me. Me and my buddy here use one another to achieve what we want and therefore we win no matter what." Carolina said smugly, before she growled at Maria. "It seems though that I still cannot defeat you, no matter what I do." She said as she walked forward, holding something. "Here, take this; it's what you want isn't it?" Caroline said as she shoved the map back into Maria's hands, who looked at her suspiciously. "Caroline, why're you-?!" Maria was cut off as Caroline and her Eidolon disappeared into thin air, shocking Maria.

 _ **"She has fallen so far, she is lost to the darkness…the thirst for power. Maria, if it comes down to it, we may have to kill her."**_ Saari said to Maria, who nodded with a sigh. "Caroline…it saddens me to see how far you have fallen." Maria said as she left the bandit camp, with the group following her; none daring to question her behavior.

 **Two Weeks Later:** Maria and her group sighed in exhaustion as they sat with the researcher's, close to Ozymand Temple, just outside the ruins. During the past two weeks they had met a dwarf called Akara, who offered to lead the researcher's through the shifting sands and past the mirage's as long as Maria and her group helped him. In doing so, they uncovered a dragon egg and helped Akara hatch the dragon egg. They went to meet the researchers who they learned where being attacked, helping them through the attack. They also learned that the weird succubus's and snake-like demon's were, in fact, once human; as were the winged demon's within the ruins. Maria had learned, yesterday, that the seal to the temple had been broken recklessly and that all defense mechanisms had been triggered and an evil seal was preventing anyone from getting through.

"Maria!" A female's voice called out and looking to the left of the camp, she saw Tina; the woman who had tried to convince Akara first and was currently still with him. Tina saw Maria and ran toward her, before pulling her up. "Akara needs to see you, he said it's urgent!" Tina said and her group stood. "Whoa, what's going on?" Darius questioned and Maria sighed. "Akara needs to see me, you all should stay here and protect the researcher's. If there is anything else they need, help them out as much as you can." Maria said, before she looked Darius in the eye. "Darius, I leave you in charge." Maria said and left, leaving a blushing Darius as he realized how much Maria trusted him to leave him in charge.

As Maria and Tina approached Akara, he smiled at seeing his 'assistant' walk toward him with Sachi, both curious as to what's going on. "So Akara, what was it that you need me for?" Maria asked and he snapped his fingers. "I wanted you to meet someone. Wrenna, come down here!" Akara shouted and Maria heard the roar of a dragon. Looking up, Maria saw a silhouette descend toward them, before a beautiful white dragon landed behind Akara, and nuzzled him affectionately. "This is Wrenna, the dragon you helped me hatch. Isn't she beautiful?" Akara said and Maria looked over Wrenna, eyes wide in awe.

She was beautiful indeed; she had white scales, with purple horns and claws as well as a pale purple stomach and pale purple membrane, with soft yellow eyes that looked at Maria in interest. "She is beautiful." Sachi said in awe, Maria only able to nod. "Anyways, I realized you had a problem with Ozymand Temple?" Akara questioned and Maria looked at him nodding. "Yeah, someone went in a set off all the defensive mechanisms. So now we have to try and find a way to break the seal and get inside, seeing as an evil energy now dwell's before the entrance." Maria explained, sighing annoyed.

Akara seemed to smile as he rubbed his chin. "I believe I have a solution to that problem. Wrenna here can talk to others telepathically; while her memories are hazy, she believes she might be able to help you break the seals so the entrance will open." He said and Maria smiled, that would help tremendously. "If you can help her regain her powers, she believes you and her can destroy the evil energy." Akara state and Maria looked at Akara, nodding. "Alright then, let's do it!" Maria said, before turning to look at her Eidolon's. "Sachi, you, Saari and Quelkulan will protect the entrance; don't let anyone enter. I don't want anyone interfering." Maria said and Sachi nodded as did Saari and Quelkulan, before they headed in the direction of Ozymand Temple.

"Alright Wrenna, let's go this!" Maria said and Wrenna lowered her body so Maria could climb on and once she was on Wrenna took to the sky, heading toward Ozymand Temple. They landed just behind the entrance and began to look around. Suddenly Maria felt something touch her mind and heard a voice enter her mind. _"Hello, can you hear me?"_ A female's voice asked and Maria looked at Wrenna in surprise, who smiled at her. _"I'm glad you can hear me, I wasn't so sure it'd work. I can speak to you this way and guide you throughout the area."_ Wrenna said, before she looked around, keeping her wings folded tightly against her back.

 _"Just stay on my back young one, I can feel your power already coursing through me to help me regain my old ones."_ Wrenna said to Maria, who nodded. "Alright, let's get started." Maria said and Wrenna roared her challenge, before charging in. The first seal, which was a seal of lightening, was tightly guarded by succubus's, each chanting in front of a weird altar. The altar was four cobra heads with a ball in the center of the heads, containing thunder. Suddenly one succubus that was slightly taller than the rest, was purple instead of pink and wielding a staff rose to her full height and looked at Wrenna and Maria. "My name is Saniemi, the Temporal Lightening and I've had enough trespasser's coming into my home. I will kill anymore who dare enter this place." Saniemi said, before she ordered her minions to attack Wrenna and attacked herself.

Wrenna roared and swung her tail, knocking a few down, before she struck with her claws. Maria attacked any that got too close to Wrenna's sides, hoping to help Wrenna in this battle. Wrenna swung her tail again, slamming a few into the altar, making it crack as bit from the force. Soon, only Saniemi was left who hissed at Wrenna and Maria and Wrenna growled as she hit the succubus with her tail. Saniemi stood up and charged up a ball of thunder, before throwing it at Wrenna and Maria. Wrenna dodged the ball, before she snapped at Saniemi, catching the succubus between her jaws and shook her until she heard Saniemi's spine snap into two.

"Wrenna, the altar! I think we have to destroy it!" Maria stated and Wrenna nodded and slammed the altar with her tail. Suddenly a green ball of energy came from the broken altar and struck Wrenna in her chest. Maria felt power rush through Wrenna but was worried when a pained roar escaped Wrenna's mouth. "Wrenna, are you okay?" Maria asked the dragon worried, and she nodded weakly. _"Yes…I'll be fine. I'm just getting my power's back; for some reason, this feels normal."_ Wrenna said with a nod, before she straightened herself. Maria was a little worried and cautious but nodded, agreeing to let Wrenna do as she saw fit.

They continued to the next one of the left side and saw what looked to be an altar of ice and Wrenna growled as she charged toward the winged-demons around the altar; a bigger winged-demon came out from the altar called Elvria, the Calm Torrent. He tried to attack Wrenna but her thunder breathe was too much for him to handle. Maria jumped off Wrenna and slashed at Elvria, creating a gash across his chest; Wrenna caught her before Maria hit the ground and shot her poison breathe at Elvria's chest where the gash was. Elvria roared in pain, as the winged-demons converged around Wrenna and pushed her to the ground.

"Wrenna!" Maria shouted as she was thrown off Wrenna and landed before the altar. _"Destroy the altar!"_ Wrenna shouted, before she reared back, throwing some demons off and struck at Elvria once more. Maria looked up at the altar and used **Whirling Dance** to quickly get rid of it to save Wrenna. As the altar crumbled, the demon's cried out in pain and charged Maria who gasped. Wrenna went into action, breathing out her poison to stop their advance and quickly deal with them to save Maria. As the last fell, Elvria having died to Wrenna; Maria walked toward Wrenna as a white ball came from the broken altar and went into Wrenna.

Wrenna gave a small cry of pain as her body shook but Maria could feel more strength rush into Wrenna, an icy feeling forming within Wrenna, as if strengthening her bones. "Are you okay?" Maria asked, still worried about the pained cries. _"Yes, you worry too much little one; but it is understandable, with everything you've went through."_ Wrenna commented, looking at Maria. _"Though I can see why the Eidolon's are so fond of you, you care more for others than yourself; your kindness is limitless."_ Wrenna stated, a smile on her lips as she got Maria back on her.

"Which altar is next?" Maria asked as Wrenna flew into the sky, looking around. _"It would seem to me the next one is fire."_ Wrenna said to Maria and landed back at the entrance, before making her way toward the fire altar. They entered the area where the fire altar was held and were suddenly attacked by a snake-like human, Warlock's, in which Wrenna hissed as fire hit her. Using her ice attack, she destroyed the attacking Warlock's and soon saw Yakubu, the Flame of Life who attacked them as well. Wrenna soon surprised them as she breathed out a scorching water attack that kept some Warlock's as bay but it hit Yakubu directly.

"GRAH!" Maria shouted in strain as a Warlock went to jump on Wrenna's back to get Maria. Maria saw another heading toward them and jumped off Wrenna, using **Deadly Wink** to quickly dispose of the Warlock, before she completely joined the battle, using her own moves to help Wrenna. Wrenna swung her tail; Maria dodging as the attack wasn't meant for her and hit a few Warlock's, Maria quickly using **Cross Slash** to dispose of them. Wrenna breathed out the water again, before using ice to wrap her tail in a sheet of ice and hit enemies with her tail. Soon, they had defeated the enemies and Wrenna destroyed the altar.

A ball of fire went into Wrenna and she only let out a whimper; the pain subside to a pleasurable heat that healed her wounds and strengthened her muscles. "Wrenna?" Maria questioned and the white dragon smiled at her. _"I am alright before you ask, my power is returning; so the pain wasn't bad. I mainly felt myself refreshed from the battle. Now, let us move to the last altar."_ Wrenna said and Maria nodded as she got on and they flew to the last altar. As they landed at the entrance to the last altar, they saw a bunch of magus's there, each wielding what looked like black/purple smoke from their hands and Wrenna growled low.

"What is it?" Maria whispered, leaning closer toward Wrenna's vision. _"That is dimensional magic they are wielding! Why would they try harnessing something like that?"_ Wrenna thought and Maria hummed. "Maybe they are trying to summon demons, the way Reinhardt does with the Cube of Gaia." Maria suggested and Wrenna growled. _"I know not of the Cube you speak of, but I believe you are right. We must stop them!"_ Wrenna thought and charged toward the magus's, shocking them as they struck back.

Covering her tail in ice again, Wrenna swung at the closest group converging, even as Maria jumped off, slashing at a few. Maria knew it would be foolish to landed on the ground, so she opted from jumping on the magus's themselves, allowing them to collide against one another. Suddenly a bigger Magus appeared, skin pitch black unlike the others that were purple. It was Shenoute, the Chaotic Darkness; Wrenna said to Maria, causing the Envoy to attack Shenoute instead of worrying about the smaller ones.

"So, another Envoy enters our sacred lands. Tell me, what brings your kids here?" Shenoute asked Maria, confusing her. "What do you mean?" Maria asked as she stabbed a sword into a magus, keeping it still. "There has been another here before and many others before that; your kind seems to be drawn here by some unknown reason." The magus stated, and Maria growled. "How do you know of this?" Maria questioned, glaring at Shenoute. "Because all of them, aside from the recent one who isn't you, have been killed…by ME!" The Magus shouted, and struck at Maria. Maria screamed in pain as she flew past Wrenna, hitting the building. _"Maria!"_ Wrenna shouted in worry, before looking at those before her.

Growling in rage, Wrenna suddenly let loose of a torrent of heat from her jaws, attacking all of those within range. She then let loose a crackling of lightning from her jaws, shocking and stunning those around her. Quickly jumping over them, she allowed a tidal-wave of water to come from her mouth, pushing them to the ground. She went over toward Maria as the water drowned her enemies, before she allowed a small wave of fire come from her mouth, and wash over Maria, healing her wounds as the Flame of Life worked its way into her body.

 _"Are you okay?"_ Wrenna asked Maria, who nodded as she stood. "I'll be okay, let's defeat Shenoute, and destroy the altar." Maria said and Wrenna agreed, turning to look at Shenoute as it stood. Shenoute attacked them after it regained its bearing and Wrenna let loose a blast of ice, knocking Shenoute back, who threw a ball of dark magic at them. Wrenna smacked the attack back with her wing and lunged at Shenoute, allowing Maria to head toward the altar and destroy it, even as Wrenna snapped Shenoute's spine. A black ball swirling with dark dimensional energy formed and headed toward Wrenna, before sinking into her body.

Wrenna gave a content rumble as the energy went through her. "Wrenna, it seems you have your powers back." Maria said with a smile and Wrenna nodded. She suddenly let a loud roar echo from her lips and Maria's smile widened at the power that returned to the roar. Wrenna soon grumbled as she looked at Maria and nuzzled her, before getting Maria back on her. **"It seems our guests don't know how to act."** A voice echoed throughout the area, making them stop. _"Who's there?!"_ Wrenna shouted, looking around. Suddenly electricity surrounded Maria and Wrenna, keeping them in spot. **"Oh you fools, you should know better than to trespass through our lands. But I'll bring nice and bring you to me…for your demise!"** The voice shouted and suddenly everything went black.

When everything came into focus, they were at the entrance to Ozymand Temple and standing before them was a giant winged magus. His skin was dark purple and he had red eyes; a cloak covered his body and a hood covered what looked to be slightly curved horns. His hands were clawed but he had no legs as his body was snake-like. **"My name is Imadal, the Gatekeeper. You both will pay as wonderful sacrifices to my Lord who resides within this Temple. He will be greatly pleased at the expense of you two."** Imadal stated and Wrenna growled. _"I will not submit to the likes of you!"_ Wrenna shouted, before she broke to binding on her and Maria.

 **"What? How is that possible?"** Imadal questioned, but didn't have time to get a response as Wrenna struck, breathing out water. Imadal growled as four totems appeared; fire, water, thunder and darkness. An element floated before him, fire it looked like, before a torrent of heat surrounded him and Wrenna growled as the flame hurt her. "Wrenna!" Maria shouted, worried. _"I'll be fine! We must defeat him!"_ Wrenna stated to Maria, who growled and looked at the Gatekeeper. Maria crouched over Wrenna and readied her swords; the blades glowing blue. She jumped off Wrenna as an electrical barrier appeared around Imadal as well.

Maria swung downwards, her blades connecting with the barrier. As her blades hit, both fire and thunder went toward the contact point and tried to push her back; but her body glowed blue as she used more power to try and break the barrier. **"Wretched woman, you will regret the day you met me."** Imadal shouted and went to strike her. "I already do!" Maria shouted with anger, glaring harshly at him. As his hands reached her, his hand caught fire causing him to shout in pain and the barrier broke with his concentration.

Wrenna saw her chance and breathed out what looked to be black flames, scorching Imadal. Maria saw her chance and, with blades glowing blue, struck at Imadal, using **Whirling Dance** to finish him off. As Imadal fell down, and disappeared in fire they looked toward the entrance and saw the dark energy disappear. Maria smiled in fatigue and Wrenna nuzzled Maria back onto her back. _"It is time for us to be off little one."_ Wrenna said, and took to the sky, heading back to her master Akara.

 **Ozymand Temple:** Maria couldn't believe it happened but she knew she shouldn't have been surprised. That night as they entered the temple, they defeated a dark master of some sort but then encounter Caroline and her Eidolon, both who took the Sand Gem that the Expedition Team had been searching for to help their Star Plan. Expedition Team Leader, Omar, had asked Maria and her friends to go after Caroline, in which Maria was going to do anyways…she had unfinished business with Caroline as it was.

"Carolina, get back here!" Maria shouted as she went ahead with Sachi, the others asking her to stop but she couldn't. She was right behind Caroline, who turned around with an angered look. She threw a dagger at Maria, who used one sword to smack it away, before she lunged at Caroline. Caroline's Eidolon blocked the attack, before throwing Maria against a wall, causing the girl to scream in pain. Maria slid down the wall, unconscious from the attack as her arms and legs shot off little sparks of electricity. Caroline scoffed and left with her Eidolon, disappearing into a different room.

"Maria!" A voice called out as Darius and the others appeared a while after Caroline disappeared. "Look at her arms and legs!" Satako stated, anger on his face at the damage caused to his sister. Maki suddenly called out a healing spell and the sparks stopped as Maria groaned, eyes shifting as she slowly opened them. "Maria, are you okay?" Darius asked as he held her close, and she nodded. "Yeah…" Maria groaned out, rubbing her head before she gasped. "Caroline!" She shouted, quickly getting to her feet. "Whoa, calm down. You just got knocked out!" Darius said, gripping her shoulders.

Maria turned to him, shaking her head. "No, I have to stop her! She's an Envoy, like me. I think if I can stop her, maybe I can turn her to our side. I don't want to lose another Envoy." Maria said with worry and concern, making Darius growled. "You and that woman obviously go way back." He grumbled, before nodding as he agreed on something. "Alright, we'll help you; maybe we can knock some sense into that woman." Darius said and they ran in but what they saw made them go cold. Caroline was using the Sand Gem to give her Eidolon more power and Maria charged to stop it. "Caroline, stop! You shouldn't want more power!" Maria shouted, causing the girl to turn green eyes on her.

Caroline sneered at Maria, obviously unamused at the fact that Maria was trying to stop her. "Unlike you Maria, in this world only the strongest survive. With this gem I can make anyone bow down to me." Caroline said as the gem, which was between a dragon's mouth glowed red instead of the normal purple. The red beam suddenly hit Caroline's Eidolon, infusing him with more power, dark power Caroline was unaware of, yet she grinned. "Caroline, no!" Maria shouted, running up the steps. Caroline's Eidolon looked at Maria, before he gave a shout and Caroline gasped, eyes wide. "No, Helakar, the spell isn't done yet!" Caroline shouted, panic and fear in her green eyes.

Helakar sung at Maria, who barely blocked the attack with her swords but the force still threw her back. Darius, Lilliana and Toraka stopped near the entrance and began using their weapons to get shots off, doing their best to not hit anyone else. Luther and Satako went into action not long after, dancing around the field trying to hit Helakar and leaving Caroline alone…she wasn't the true threat. Sataka and Sachi stayed to the sides and began shooting off magic, hiding behind pillars to avoid being hit. Kavar and Akina charged Helakar, getting close and swinging their weapons with all their might, hoping to take him down. Maki ran toward Maria and helped her up, before healing the party of all their wounds and then Maria summoned Saari and Quelkulan, the two charging Helakar.

Caroline was struggling with controlling the power of he Gem and trying to get Helakar under control. "No, this wasn't how it was supposed to be." Caroline mumbled, when suddenly Helakar fell, now defeated and disappeared. "Caroline!" Maria shouted and raced to help the former thief as the gem began spinning rapidly. Suddenly a red beam hit Caroline, who began screaming in pain as the what looked like the Cube of Gaia appeared. Maria gasped and began running faster, reaching a hand toward Caroline, who reached for her. "Maria!" Caroline shouted, when suddenly a bright flash happened and when it faded, she was gone.

Maria fell to her knees. "Caroline!" Maria shouted in sadness…and suddenly began crying. "No…I-I...I was too late…again." She sobbed out, hugging herself. "Why? Why couldn't I save her?" Maria questioned herself as the expedition team appeared and wings were heard. _"Don't fret little one. Things aren't always in our control."_ A voice said and looking up, Maria and everyone saw Akara and Wrenna land. "Akara, did something happen?" Omar asked as he walked toward the group and the dragon. Akara frowned, obviously troubled by something. "Wrenna said she felt something horrible happen within the temple, so we came to see what was going on." He explained, before looking around.

"I have a feeling we've just awakened an ancient evil within this temple due to that Caroline woman's interfering." Akara said worried, when suddenly the temple began shaking. "An earthquake?" Omar questioned but Maria felt dread hit her stomach. "No…this isn't an earthquake." Maria said as a voice suddenly began speaking. _**"Many years have passed since the last time I was awakened."**_ The voice said and Wrenna began growling as she walked toward the doors as the other end, Maria and her group following Wrenna slowly. _**"My nemesis, Wrenna the dragon of Prophecy, I knew we would once again meet here. But this time, this place shall be your grave. Let us end this farce."**_ The voice echoed as suddenly a portal appeared.

Coming out of the portal was a gigantic, boned dragon with a center that pulsed with dark energy and glowing red eyes. He looked at Wrenna and roared a challenge to her, which she roared back; hatred on her features. _"Talamund, the Immortal Demon; today will be the day I send you to Pandemonium myself!"_ Wrenna shouted, before she used her fire breath to hit Talamund and Maria's team went into action. Maria, Satako and Luther danced around the field, striking Talamund's legs; hoping to make him stumble. Kavar and Akina charged head on and struck as hard as they could; Akina mainly using her **Aftershock** and Kavar using his **Thunder Cut** , the thunder sometimes paralyzing Talamund.

Darius, Lilliana and Toraka stayed further away; hitting either the wings or face to keep Talamund busy. Wrenna dragged Talamund to the ground by the neck, trying to keep him pinned. "Maki, help!" Sataka shouted as she was thrown into a wall by Talamund's tail. Maki chanted off a healing spell, healing the party before she boosted their stats with **Rhapsody**. Maria got behind Talamund, jumped into the air, before she used **Whirling Dance** again; her whole body glowing blue instead of just her blades. As she landed before Talamund, his wings torn off by Wrenna, her body kept the blue glow as she used **Deadly Wink** and destroy the area on Talamund that glowed purple and black.

Talamund roared in pain as his body began to glow red and Wrenna gasped. "Everyone down!" Wrenna shouted and covered Maria and her group as Talamund exploded. "Did we do it?" Lilliana asked as everything slowly settled down. As they looked around, they didn't see anything; not even Talamund's bones or any dust. Looking toward the dragon statue, they saw the gem break into two and disappear into thin air and Omar chuckled. They had learned that the Gem wasn't what they should have been after but the Temple itself.

"You…you did it! You actually defeated the ancient evil that resided in the temple, as well as granting us access to everything within the temple." Omar said, before turning to smile at Maria and her group. "Now we can complete our Star Plan and it's all thank to you all. Thank you!" Omar said, bowing to Maria and her group, as well as Akara and Wrenna. Maria swore she saw Akara blush under that mask of his. "You shouldn't really be thanking me. Maria and Wrenna are the ones who did everything." Akara said, waving his hands and backing to the side, as did Maria's group. Maria smiled at Wrenna as she smiled to Maria, before Wrenna nuzzled Maria who hugged her. "Thank you Wrenna, without your help; I probably wouldn't be here." Maria said and Wrenna only smiled.


	19. Back to Port Skandia

Akane smiled as she was with Joel and Theia, picking flowers with them to give to some of the villager's. It had been so long since she had been with them that she surely missed being in a familiar place. As she stood up, she suddenly heard crashing and looked around, even as a black-haired woman walked toward her with a scythe in hand. "Everything okay Akane?" The woman asked, looking around curiously. "Something doesn't feel right, Hiyami." Akane said, staring deeper into the woods. Suddenly they heard fire explode in the village and Akane with Hiyami gasped as they ran back in with Theia and Joel, before horror covered Akane's face. "What the hell?!" Akane shouted as demon began attacking villager's.

Hiyami began spinning her scythe, when suddenly a demon rammed into her, before slamming her into the ground, knocking her out. "Hiyami! AH!" Akane gave a startled yelp as a demon landed beside her. Akane growled before looking at the two kids with her. "Theia, Joel, grab Sheila and York and get to the lighthouse!" Akane shouted and the two kids nodded, before they ran off to find their parents. Akane turned toward the demon, bringing her twin swords out. "You ugly brute, leave Port Skandia alone!" Akane shouted as she attacked a demon, before she saw a man she loathed. "Reinhardt…" Akane mumbled in anger, seeing the Shadow Knight ordering the demons.

 **Week later, at Navea:** Maria awaited Belenus's orders as he read over her report and took her information in. Maria opted to leave out anything said about Caroline and Helakar, it was something she felt she needed to sort out herself and she didn't want to burden Belenus. Belenus looked at her, then at Gus who nodded with a smile. "Great job Maria, we're impressed at how easily you got the alliance going on." Gus complemented, before folding his arms. "Since we have what we need, all that we ask you to do is talk to Augustus about the robots he's made, then…take some time off. Go back home and see everyone again. I'm sure you'll be happy to see them again." Gus said, smiling at her and she seemed shocked.

"T-take time off? Are you sure?" Maria asked and Gus chuckled. "Really it wasn't our idea," Gus admitted, scratching his cheek a little. "in fact, Commander Andre was the only who suggested it." He said, shocking Maria and her Eidolon's. "Despite the way he acts, he's actually been pretty worried about yours and Akane's wellbeing. So take some time off after you give him this request, and then talk to Augustus, then take time off, okay?" Gus suggested and Maria seemed shocked but nodded.

Commander Andre was the one who stated she needed a break? It shocked her that, despite how he had treated her, he cared about her and Akane. She was surprised that Commander Andre would suggest it; but it made her smile nonetheless. "Alright, thank you for everything you've done. After I give this to Commander Andre and speak to Augustus, I shall take some time off. I'll give a letter on my return." Maria said and bowed, before she left. She approached the Military District and soon saw Andre there barking out order's to the soldier's, Victoria beside him reading a few paper's about what needed to be done.

Some soldier's stopped their training and smiled or saluted to Maria as she passed them, confusing her. She saw Anya and Alex with their unit talking things over, and realized they were probably being nice because of Anya was there. "Commander Andre!" Maria shouted, catching his attention. He stopped what he was doing to look at her and as Maria handed him the paper, he read it over being sighing. "I see, so it's come to that has it. Already, we'll get ready to deploy at once. Thank you for bringing this Maria." Andre said and Maria nodded as she turned to leave, yet Andre stopped her.

"Maria, wait!" Andre said and she turned back around to him, awfully aware of everyone watching them. "I…I just wanted to say that…I'm sorry." Andre said, shocking Maria and everyone else there. "Commander Andre?" Anya questioned, raising a brow. Andre rubbed the back of his head, somewhat embarrassed. "I realized that many times I was out of line; that I put too much pressure on you. I also realized that you will become nothing Reinhardt and the same goes for Akane." He said, before letting his arm drop. "While she may be his daughter, they are two different people." Andre stated and Maria smiled.

She understood his distrust of Envoy's, understood his reasoning and why; she saw no reason to apologize but it made her happy nonetheless. "It's okay Commander Andre, I understand your reasons. The first Envoy you meet was Reinhardt, and he turned out to be rather wicked and evil; so you automatically had a reason to hate Envoy's." Maria said and hugged Andre, shocking him and the soldier's there. "I forgive you and I was never mad to begin with." Maria said and after she let go, the two smiled before Maria left…but not before hearing Anya's statement. "You are not taking Maria away from me Andre!" Anya shouted and Maria heard the soldier's, Alex and Victoria laughing with Andre.

 **Navea Inn:** Maria walked in and told everyone of the plan, making them all cheer. They would finally have a break and get to meet the place Maria called home for so long. After they gathered their things, they left for Cactakara Forest and Port Skandia. Using the Warp Portal within Navea, they soon appeared before the waterfall in Brevis at Cactakara Forest and began looking for Augustus. They soon found him working with Montero on some robots that seemed to be powered by Halo Energy. "Augustus!" Maria called out and he turned around, before smiling at seeing Maria. "Ah Maria, it's good to see you." Augustus said and she smiled as she handed him a letter.

"It's good to see you as well. The Church had asked me to give you this letter, saying it was time." Maria asked and Augustus looked at it before he chuckled. "Alright, time to get these bot's moving. Thanks Maria, it's time to finish this." He said, before turning to look at the other dwarves. "Alright everyone, let's get these bot's to Navea!" Augustus shouted, and everyone went into overdrive. Maria and her group left Augustus to do as he wished and went back to the Warp Portal, trying to go to Port Skandia but it took them to Helonia Coast instead. "What the-?" Maria seemed confused and tried to teleport to Port Skandia again but it wasn't responding.

"I wonder why the crystal isn't working." Sachi said, looking at the floating crystal and Maria sighed. "Well, we're not that far from Port Skandia as it is. We can just walk there since we're close." Maria said and the group followed Maria to Port Skandia. They entered the long road that lead to Port Skandia but soon began to feel uneasy. The air was stale as they got closer to Port Skandia and once they exited the road into the forest around Port Skandia, they gasped in horror. Many trees were dead and charred; the ground was covered in ash and there were burn marks everywhere.

"What happened?" Maria asked herself, looking around with horror filled gold eyes. "Maria…is everything okay?" Satako asked when suddenly Maria bolted toward the village. "Maria, wait!" Darius shouted as they followed her. "Everyone in the village has to be safe, they just have to!" Maria shouted as she started running faster toward the place she called home. She jumped over a fallen log at the village entrance and gasped in horror as blood, bodies, burn marks and ruined houses littered the once, peaceful, Port Skandia. They others got to her and looked around in sadness…was this once her home? Maria sniffled as she walked around, not sure what to think. This was her home.

Who would dare attack Port Skandia? What could they possibly gain attacking this place? "Maria…is this your home?" Lilliana asked, worried about Maria's reaction. "This wasn't how it was supposed to be…my return to this place." She said, trying not to break down. "What happened here? Who would attack Port Skandia?" Maria questioned as she turned around, eyes filled with tears. Maria suddenly noticed a light pass over her and looked toward the lighthouse, as did the others. Maria cocked a brow in confusion…how was the lighthouse still standing? Why was it still working? Being cautious of what could happen, Maria and her group walked toward the lighthouse; all aware of the weird footprints in the ground.

Maria got to the door and knocked, wondering what was going on. She was surprised to hear something being unlocked and the door open just a crack. "Who is it?" A woman asked and Maria saw Sheila. "Sheila?!" Maria shouted in surprise and Sheila gasped, opening the door fully. "Maria?! Why are you here? C-come in, quickly!" Sheila said and ushered Maria and her group inside the lighthouse, before closing and locking the door. Maria suddenly saw everyone she recognized in that lighthouse.

There was Caine, Ida, Anita, Betsy, Corey, Larry, Bentley, Elena, Flower, York, Theia, Joel, Willy, two guards she didn't know, a scythe wielding woman and…Akane and Alessa. "Akane, Alessa!" Maria shouted, running toward the Envoy and Eidolon. Akane was covered in bandages, she looked unconscious but Maria knew the woman was nearly comatose. Maria could tell the woman had lost a lot of blood and her swords were broken beside her; Akane was in horrible condition. Maria looked at Alessa, only to see Alessa seemed to have almost completely healed but even she seemed to be weakened.

"What happened?" Maria asked Alessa, who gulped. "It…it was Kane." Alessa said and Maria's eyes widened...Kane did this?! "Akane was with Theia and Joel when it happened but I was within the village. Kane had been acting weird the whole week, there was a dark energy around him that was too familiar. Suddenly he transformed and before anyone could react, he destroy Sheila's and York's house but they were at the lighthouse fixing it." She explained, before looking at Akane. "Then Akane ran it and tried to fight Kane off but then more demon's appeared, when suddenly… **he** appeared." Alessa said and Maria knew what Alessa meant…Reinhardt had attacked Port Skandia.

"Why would he attack Akane aside from her being his daughter and fighting against him?" Maria asked Alessa, who sighed. "He wants to make her submit to him but she can't. Her will to do good keeps her on the right path, it gives her the will to fight against him." Alessa explained, looking upset at the turn of events. "She was nearly killed though as her and Hiyami, the scythe wielder over there, protected everyone as they went to the lighthouse. The light from the lighthouse prevents anything from getting too close." Alessa said and Maria sighed…she needed to get everyone to safety.

"Quelkulan!" Maria summoned, the purple serpent appearing. "I got a plan." She said as she stood, looking determined before she looked back at Alessa. "Alessa, are the demon's still here?" Maria asked and the Regal Unicorn nodded. "Alright, Darius, everyone I have a plan!" Maria said and everyone in the lighthouse listened. "Quelkulan, you, Darius and the others are to escort everyone with the lighthouse to Navea. Tell Anya, Gus or Belenus that Port Skandia was attacked and wait for my return." She stated with authority, something no one was used to. "I'm going to stay behind and defeat the demon's. I'll have Saari and Sachi with me, so I should be okay." Maria said but Darius shook his head.

"No…hell no! Maria, that's suicide!" Darius shouted and Maria glared at him. "It's the only plan that will actually work. I don't feel Reinhardt around here, so I know I will be alright. You and the others need to get everyone here to safety; I don't want to see them hurt." Maria stated back, and Darius growled. "I'm not leaving you behind." Darius said and Maria gripped his shoulders. "You don't have a choice in the matter, I'm the leader of this group and I say you all need to get everyone here to safety. If you don't do that for me, I will never forgive you!" Maria shouted, causing Darius to go silent.

Maria had never gotten like this…she was insistent and that was usually rare for her. Maria also never ordered them around like that; she never forced them to do something like this, so why now? Maria glared at him and he sighed…he had no choice but the relent. "Alright…alright fine but if you don't return to Navea before night falls, I'm coming back to get you." Darius said and Maria sighed, but agreed. Quelkulan got all the wounded on his back and Maria walked out of the lighthouse, before getting to the center of town, and nodded to the others. "Run, now!" Maria shouted as a demon landed before her.

Darius was about to help her but Toraka grabbing his arm pulled him back to his mission; he was to help the others get the villagers out of town, even as Saari and Sachi began attacking the demon. Maria jumped behind the demon and used **Whirling Dance** on the demon; her swords glowing purple, before she quickly used **Deadly Wink** , hitting the demon in the back and destroying the spine. After the demon felt the attack, he flailed, trying to hit Maria with his arms but she finished him off with **Cross Slash**. Suddenly two more appeared and Maria growled as she attacked them…let the battle begin!

 **Later:** Maria gasped as the last demon fell and she sighed as she looked at a certain demon, one that had a sword for an arm, with tattered clothes. It was Kane…she could tell with how it had attacked her and the feelings within him. She hadn't wanted to kill Kane but she wasn't surprised he had transformed into a demon. Growling, she grabbed her swords and looked around, seeing no more demon's. "Should be okay, let's go!" Maria said to Saari and Sachi, both nodding. Suddenly a pressure fell on Maria, bringing her to her knees and making her grit her teeth in strain.

"It…it can't be." Maria said as she recognized the pressure. "I…I t-thought y-you left." She said as she struggled to turn around and saw Reinhardt there, he was sneering at her. "I see the young Envoy is able to still move in my field of power." Reinhardt stated and Maria noticed a black horse behind him. Reinhardt took his sword out and stalked toward her. "I've had enough of you messing with my plans, time to end it all here." Reinhardt said and lifted his sword above her head. _'I won't die like this…not by his hand's!'_ Maria thought and broke the pressure on her, striking him and causing him to growl in pain. "Argh, wretched woman!" Reinhardt shouted, and struck back at her, but she dodged the attack.

She jumped behind him and he blocked Saari's sword aimed for him, before growling as a ball of ice hit him from Sachi. Suddenly Maria struck him again, her sword actually piercing his armor and he kicked her back. He charged Maria, barely missing Saari's sword and clashed with Maria again; Reinhardt began to glow red and Maria began to glow blue and suddenly a flurry of clashing was heard as Reinhardt and Maria attacked each other with amazing speed and ferocity. "Die!" Reinhardt shouted as he charged her again. "Not a chance!" Maria retorted as she charged as well, clashing blades with him again.

Maria suddenly grabbed his sword and kicked him in the face, before using **Deadly Wink** , her swords destroy his shoulder guards. He growled and slashed at her, his sword getting her right under the ribs. "Maria!" Sachi shouted and quickly used a healing spell to help Maria. Maria pushed back, before she used **Dancing Balisong** against Reinhardt, healing herself a bit more. Reinhardt growled and struck her across the chest with the hilt of his sword, knocking the wind out of her. Before he could strike her again, Saari blocked the attack and threw him back, before charging and clashing with him. Reinhardt growled and had his Eidolon, Aschensturm, knock both Saari and Sachi away from him, before he charged Maria.

Suddenly a blue light came over the area and Reinhardt stopped as the Cube of Gaia appeared and he gasped…why was it there? He didn't call upon it to appear, so why? Looking at Maria, he saw her eyes were glowing and a blue glow surrounded her, before he felt a harsh gust of wind trying to blow him back. "What the-?! Is she using the power of the cube?" Reinhardt questioned, shocked. Suddenly, he remembered something when he first went after the cube.

 _ **-Flashback- A young girl with black hair was playing with a miniature version of the Cube of Gaia, a man and woman both sitting in Throne chairs, Eidolon's scattered about as they did their daily thing. Suddenly the doors broke down and Reinhardt stood at the entrance, a determined look on his face. "Who are you?! State your business in Aura Kingdom!" The man shouted, standing and glaring at Reinhardt. "I need to Cube." Reinhardt said simply and a woman picked Maria up, moving off to the side a bit. "Why should we let you use the Cube?" The woman asked, wariness in her voice.**_

 _ **Suddenly the woman screamed as a sword went through her and the man realized it was Reinhardt as he had quickly charged toward the woman. He yanked the sword out of her, before he held it toward the King's throat. "I need the Cube, now hand it over." Reinhardt threatened and the King growled. "I don't control the Cube and even if I did, I would never hand it over to you." The King stated and Reinhardt growled as he sliced the man's throat. "DADDY!" The little girl screamed from an Eidolon's arms.**_

 _ **Reinhardt looked toward them, seeing an Eidolon with long blonde hair, wearing red, white and gold armor was holding a lance and shield and currently holding the little girl as well. "Astraea, the man killed daddy!" The girl cried out and Astraea growled. Reinhardt charged them and struck Astraea, the Guardian Goddess too slow to react and she screamed as she fell down, blood leaking from her chest. Reinhardt stalked toward the girl and raised his shield.**_

 _ **"No, don't hurt her!" Astraea shouted but he swung his sword down toward the little girl. Suddenly the girl's eyes began to glow blue as the Cube of Gaia appeared and began shaking, causing the castle to tremble and shake as well. Eidolon's suddenly disappeared, as did Astraea and then everything went black. -Flashback end-**_

Reinhardt looked at Maria, before his eyes widened. The way the Cube reacted, the glowing of her eyes, the way Saari and Sachi seemed to get stronger…it couldn't be…could it? There was no way she was still alive. Rage overcame his face as he charged again, intent on killing her. "How can the Princess still be alive?!" Reinhardt shouted and struck at her. His sword meet a barrier around Maria and she lifted a hand and blasted him into a building; destroying it. Growling he stood as he glared at Maria, realizing who she was…Aura Kingdom's Princess, Heir to the Throne and True Wielder of the Cube of Gaia.

She had been chosen by the Cube to be the next ruler of Gaia, where Aura Kingdom dwelled…before Gaia was destroyed when the Cube went out of control. Reinhardt stood and attacked again but Maria blocked with her swords and struck toward him, her swords cutting through his armor like it was nothing. Growling, Reinhardt smacked her swords away with his, before he struck again but meet the barrier again. She was being protected by the Cube of Gaia, it had recognized who she was as well.

 _'Damn it, I don't have time for this. I need to stop her hold on the Cube and escape.'_ Reinhardt thought, before he grabbed her by her throat. "Release our Envoy!" Sachi shouted, shooting ice. "Release our Princess!" Saari shouted as she charged. "Let go of my daughter!" Another voice sounded and landing between Reinhardt and Maria was Astraea, her blue eyes filled with rage. "Your…daughter?" Reinhardt questioned, surprised to know that the Guardian Goddess had a daughter. Astraea said nothing as she kept her stance against him, when she heard a _'thud'_ and turning around, she saw that Maria had collapsed.

She gasped and knelt down, intent on protecting Maria and Reinhardt regained control of the Cube, before he growled. "I can not take anymore chances." Reinhardt said as he disappeared into a portal with his Eidolon and the Cube. Astraea sighed in relief, before her weapons disappeared and she lifted Maria up a little, holding the girl close to her. "Astraea, I am sorry." Saari apologized, bowing deeply. "We were unable to protect Maria's' identity from Reinhardt." Saari finished sadly, eyes downcast in shame, even as Astraea simply sighed. "Don't let it worry you Saari…it was bound to happen." Astraea said softly, before looking up at the Champion of the Slain.

"I am just glad she has friends who are willing to help her." She stated and Sachi came over. "Do we tell her?" Sachi asked, yet Astraea shook her head. "It's still not the right time. Preparations are not complete and the Eidolon's are still scattered." Astraea said and Sachi sighed sadly, she wished to tell Maria soon. "Does this mean we cannot tell her that you are her mother?" Saari questioned and Astraea nodded. "Yes…I believe she may never know the truth. She may hate me forever when she finds out and it might distract her from her purpose." Astraea stated and the two Eidolon's sighed. "Will you at least come with us to Navea?" Saari questioned, looking at the Goddess inquisitively. "I believe everyone has the right to know what's going on." She said and Astraea nodded as the group left for Navea.

 **Navea:** They entered the city as the sun began to rise and everyone made way for them as they headed for the Church; everyone shocked to see the Guardian Goddess. Many bowed while others were frozen in shock. Darius slammed the doors to the Inn open and glared at the others. "Thanks for knocking me out Sataka!" Darius said sarcastically to his Aunt, who growled at him. "Look!" Lilliana shouted and they saw Astraea, Saari and Sachi heading toward the Church; Maria in Astraea's arms. They gasped and followed the Eidolon's, wondering what was going on.

As they entered the Church, Akane and Alessa turned around; Akane having awoken during the night and still healing but she looked okay. Andre, Anya, Alex and Victoria were there as well and they all gasped as they saw Maria in Astraea's arms, covered in scars and bleeding. "What happened?!" Andre asked as Akane, Alessa and Anya ran toward them. Astraea knelt with Maria, tired from the long walk and having already been exhausted when protecting Maria from Reinhardt's final attack.

"Maria was attacked by Reinhardt when she was at Port Skandia. She told her group to travel on ahead while she stayed behind to fend off the demon's. After she defeated the demon's, Maria was suddenly attacked by Reinhardt herself." Saari said, before looking at Maria. "And he discovered something we Eidolon's have been trying to hide from everyone." Saari explained as Akane and Anya tried to help Maria. "What would this 'something' be?" Belenus asked as everyone else watched in confusion. Astraea decided to explain as she held a hand up to silence Saari.

"We Eidolon's lived in Aura Kingdom, Gaia; as you all are aware. What no one truly knows is that we had a King and Queen who ruled over us and brought peace to our world." Astraea began, looking Belenus in the eye. "About twenty years ago, the King and Queen had a daughter, who was chosen by the Cube of Gaia as the next true Wielder of the Cube of Gaia. As she was the only child of the King and Queen, she was the Princess of Aura Kingdom, as well as the next Heir to the Throne." Astraea stated, then sighed before she continued.

"Exactly seventeen years ago, Aura Kingdom was attacked by Reinhardt when he began looking for a cure for his wife, Luciana. But when the King and Queen refused to hand over the Cube, he killed them. He was about to kill the Princess when I tried to stop him but it was futile." Astraea said, shaking her head sadly. "As he was about to strike the Princess down, her eyes glowed blue and the Cube began shaking but there was a problem." She said, looking down at Maria. "As the Princess was so young, she was unaware she was using the Cube and as a result, her power spun out of control. The Cube suddenly destroyed not only Aura Kingdom, but Gaia itself and transported everything down here to Terra." Astraea explained and Belenus hummed.

"Why are you telling us this?" He asked and Sachi spoke up. "Because the Princess of Aura Kingdom, Next Heir to the Throne and the True Wielder of the Cube of Gaia, is one person. And that one person…" Sachi turned to Maria, eyes soft yet sad. "is Maria, the woman who lays before us." Sachi said, noticing Maria was pretty much comatose now. "You can't be serious." Maki said in disbelief, everyone taking the information in. "How do you know about all of this Astraea?" Belenus asked suddenly and Astraea sighed. "Because...Maria is my daughter, I could feel everything that happened to her due to all the Eidolon's having a connection to Maria, rather we want to or not." She said softly, running a hand through Maria's hair.

"We have always been able to come to Terra and connect to Envoy's but it was of choice. With Maria, we have no choice but to be connected as she is the last we have." Astraea explained and everyone took that in…Astraea…was Maria's mother. "Does that mean that Maria is an Eidolon?" Akane asked, but Astraea shook her head. "No, she is completely human. Nineteen years ago, I became an Eidolon to protect Aura Kingdom from being invaded by Pandemonium. Maria has no idea that I am her mother and she is to know none of this." Astraea stated firmly and Darius glared at her. "Why not?!" He snapped out, blue eyes showing his anger.

"Doesn't she have a right to know how important she is?! Doesn't she have a right to know who her mother is?!" Darius shouted, angry that Astraea wished to hide this from Maria. "It is to be hidden because preparations are not yet complete!" Astraea retorted, she had heard enough for the other Eidolon's, she didn't need human's pestering her about this either! Astraea words though confused everyone, preparations? For what? "What do you mean 'preparations aren't done'?" Gus questioned, tilting his head. "I still have yet to gather all the Eidolon's, as well as retrieve a fragment from a certain human. A man by the name of Taka…Taka the betrayer!" Astraea said, rage on her face at the mention of Taka.

"I can help you find Taka, if need be." A voice said and they saw a boy standing at the entrance. He had short blonde hair, red eyes, a mask covering one side of his face; wearing a dark red outfit, with a black cape. "Abaddon." Sachi said, surprised to see the shape-shifter there. "I can help you find him if need be. I've been searching for Taka to get a little revenge for Maria." Abaddon stated, and Astraea nodded.

After everyone agreed that it would be best to wait for Maria to recover before they do anything else, they were escorted to rooms within the Church to wait for her recovery. It was also agreed upon that everyone they had all been told would be kept a secret, being told Maria was to learn on her own. Maria awoke a week later but something was off about her…she was far away. She couldn't speak, her eyes were lifeless and dull…she didn't respond to anything. At the moment Akane walked into the room, seeing Maria wearing the mirror assassin's armor but she still didn't do anything.

"Maria?" Akane questioned and she only looked at Akane, eyes still dull and Akane sighed. She could tell Maria was in emotional torment, as well as trying to regain her bearings after being controlled by the Cube of Gaia. Maria was beating herself up for what happened to Port Skandia and Akane knew it. "Maria, you need to understand that not everything is how it seems!" Akane shouted to the golden eyed girl who just stared at her with a blank look. "Port Skandia's destruction wasn't your fault! No one knew that Reinhardt would go after Skandia but it wasn't your fault." Akane said, kneeling to the girl, hoping to get a reaction.

Maria still didn't respond, just kept staring at her yet Akane didn't stop. "But...even you need to learn that no one can take on a whole demon army...you were nearly killed!" Akane shouted, remembering the story of how Maria was mercilessly attack by Reinhardt, Saari and Sachi had shown everyone what happened with their memories. Maria just stared at her...the blank look piercing...and Akane wanted to cry. Maria didn't respond to anything said to her, like she couldn't hear what someone was saying. "Maria...say something!" Akane shouted, crying against Maria's chest...who didn't respond or move.

Slowly, something came to life in Maria as she gave a soft blue glow that went unnoticed by Akane...when suddenly Maria's eyes flickered blue for a split second. "…I have to end this…" Maria croaked out, making Akane gasp and look at her. Akane moved back to look at Maria properly, seeing that Maria was coming back to herself. "I have to stop Reinhardt…no matter the cost." Maria said hoarsely and Akane saw a little bit of life come back to Maria's eyes. "The final battle draws near and I'm the only one who can stop Reinhardt…but I can't do it alone." Maria said and looked at Akane and she saw the fire back in Maria's eyes.

"Akane, I ask that you help me in the final fight. We have to stop Reinhardt, no matter what." Maria said with a soft determined voice and Akane nodded. "Will do but there is something you must finish first." Akane said as she stood, looking at Maria worried. "Astraea appeared and said that you have to go retrieve something from someone. Something about him having what she needs to help you." Akane said and Maria seemed confused. "What does that mean? Who do I need to find to retrieve the item?" Maria asked, worried about the response.

"She said someone called Taka, the Betrayer." Akane said, and Maria's eyes widened and filled with tears. "Are you crazy?!" She shouted, getting out of the chair she was sitting in before she stumbled and hit the ground. Akane gasped and ran over, helping her up but Maria pushed her away when she was standing. "I can't go near that man, not after what he did to me!" Maria shouted and then the door opened. "Maria?" A voice asked and looking toward the door was Darius. He had a slightly worried tone to his voice, having heard the _'thud'_ that accompanied Maria's fall but he seemed to have relaxed now. "You're awake?" He asked relieved to see her back to normal, somewhat.

"Yeah, I'm back to normal." Maria said, though she did not smile; after hearing what she had to do...how could she? "Thank goodness." Darius said, before looking at Akane, who still seemed worried as she watched Maria turn to sit on the bed. "…Akane, can I talk to Maria alone?" Darius asked and Akane nodded, leaving the room and closing the door. Darius walked toward the bed and sat down before he hugged Maria, glad to have her respond by hugging back. "Did Akane tell you what we have to do?" Darius asked and he felt her tense. "Yes…but I can't do it. I can't bear to see that man ever again." Maria said as she began shaking and Darius could feel tears hitting his shoulder.

"Maria?" He questioned and pulled away, seeing her crying. "He broke me, Darius, he destroyed me!" She shouted, holding a hand to her head and gripping her bangs. "He betrayed me and shattered my trust. I don't think I could live seeing him again. I can't face him by myself again!" Maria shouted, feeling herself slowly breaking down and Darius gripped her shoulders. "You won't be alone." He stated firmly and she looked at him confused. "What do you mean?" She asked and he hugged her. "You won't be alone when you see him again, I'll be there with you." He explained, trying to smile at her.

"Me, Luther, Kavar, Lilliana, Maki, Sataka, Satako, Toraka, Akina, Saari, Sachi and Quelkulan. You have all of us." Darius said and Maria seemed shocked before she looked to the ground…she figured she'd always be alone. "How do I know you all won't be needed elsewhere." Maria asked softly and Darius seemed confused. "What do you mean?" He asked and Maria looked at him. "I know Akane, Hiyami and Alessa are going to be needed at the front-lines. How do I know Belenus won't ask you all to do the same?" Maria questioned as she began shaking with sobs again.

"I won't let him tear us apart." Darius said and Maria looked at him blushing. "I promised from the beginning that I would stay beside you and I swear to not be separated from you again." He stated, eyes burning with passionate determination. "I was away from you at Skandia and you were nearly killed. I…I don't think I could bare being separated from you again." Darius said and she noticed he was blushing as well. Maria looked away, not sure why her heart was beating faster. "W-why do you say that?" Maria asked, blushing more.

Darius gulped and tried to speak but his mouth wouldn't work and he groaned. How could he tell her without sounding cheesy? He soon realized he couldn't and decided actions speak louder than words. "Because of how I feel." Darius said simply, before he kissed Maria when she turned to look at him. Maria's eyes widened as her blush intensified, shocked this was happening. Was…Darius really kissing her? Maria slowly closed her eyes and kissed back, wrapping her arms around his neck as his arms wrapped around her waist. They separated for air, and Darius leaned his forehead against her's, and smiled at her. "Because I love you, that's why I won't let anyone separate us and exactly why I'll make Taka pay for hurting you." Darius said as he kissed her again and she realized it useless to argue.


	20. Taka The Betrayer's Demise

The next day, the group headed out to find Taka with Abaddon tagging along. It turned out that Abaddon was a longtime friend of Maria and helped her a lot in the beginning. Sachi and Saari were currently hiding from him and they knew why. They had already seen his flirtatious acts toward Sachi and the girl disappeared with Saari before it could go further. The group had also learned that Darius and Maria had gotten together, it was obvious Maki and Kavar were displeased with that fact but they dealt with it. Satako had dragged Darius off for a 'talk' as he put it and they came back with a smirking Satako, and a pale Darius who stated it was more of a threat rather than a talk.

"So, where is Taka?" Darius asked Abaddon, who sighed. "He's actually pretty close to Helonia Coast. I saw him run into the mountain's during my search for him." Abaddon explained, a snarl on his face; red eyes glowing. "Alright then, let's head there." Maria said and they nodded as they went to Helonia. When they got there, they got direction's about a blue haired male heading toward the Emeralden Mountains; they decided to head in that direction.

As they entered, they were shocked to notice nothing was attacking them…everything in the cave seemed…dead. "This is definitely the kind of place Taka who live at, where no one would want to stay and if they did…" Abaddon said as he summoned his scythe. "They would pay with their lives?" Someone else, a male, questioned before they heard a chuckle. "Is that what you were going to say Abaddon?" The male questioned and looking before them, they saw a shadowed man. They had entered a wide area within the cave, trees littered the ground within and looking up they saw it was opened, revealing the dark sky.

The moon shone through, lighting their way and soon the man pushed off the tree and they saw two blades enter the light. "He's a duelist." Satako whispered and looked at Maria, seeing her eyes shaking in fear. _**"Maria, be strong. We are here for you."**_ Quelkulan's voice said in Maria's mind and she nodded with a gulp. Suddenly Sachi appeared, pink eyes burning in anger as she readied her staff. Everyone readied themselves, Maria a little slower as fear coursed through her body. "Still hesitant to kill me Maria?" The male mocked and Maria flinched back, closing her eyes tightly. "Leave Maria alone you monster, I won't let you ever hurt her again!" Darius threatened and pointed his cannon at the man, who huffed.

The guy scoffed, unamused. "You don't scare me boy, besides…" The man came into the light, revealing Taka, his red eyes showing malicious intent. "No one scares me when I have demon's by my side." The boy said as three demons appeared; one with black wings, one that looked like a black unicorn and the other a serpent. "What the-?!" Abaddon shouted, red eyes wide in shock. "Attack!" Taka shouted, his blue hair swaying with his body as he charged Maria. Maria gasped and barely blocked his swords, before they began exchanged blows; constantly moving across the area. "Just like so long ago, right Maria?!" Taka shouted, eyes showing joy at possibly killing her.

Maria growled, eyes glowing as she continued to strike at him but he always blocked, just as she did him. She suddenly used **Whirling Dance** , catching Taka by surprised as he was hit to the ground but he reacted quickly and got away before she finished. He suddenly used **Deadly Wink** against her but she used **Cross Slash** , their blades meeting halfway through their skills. Suddenly Maria landed on her back as Taka tripped her, before he pinned her down and smirked at her, glad to see her down this time. "Come on Maria, what's wrong?" Taka asked, his voice mocking.

"You aren't fighting with your full strength or…do you still harbor feelings for me?" Taka teased but she only glared at him. "The only feelings I have for you Taka are hatred, betrayal and anger…you broke me a year ago. I will never forgive you for that!" Maria shouted, anger in her gold eyes at what he had done. Taka glared at her, before he cupped her face, his red eyes burning with anger and possessiveness. "Don't you understand?!" He shouted, shocking her. "No matter what I did, my feelings for you were real! I did love you, I swear but greed clouded my mind that day I attacked you. I searched for you; hoping we could patch things up and become one! Then the demon's offered me a chance to prove myself to you and gave me what I needed. I don't need an Eidolon anymore." Taka said, before he hugged her but she struggled against him.

"All I need, all I want is you…Maria." Taka said, before he kissed her. Maria froze, not sure what to do but she began struggling again; feeling a dark presence enter her body. Suddenly the place began to crack and rumble as purple light seeped through the cracks and knocked the others down, a tree or two breaking. "What's going on?!" Luther shouted as he struggle to stand. "The ground's breaking apart, that's what!" Akina shouted before she helped Lilliana stand upright. "Maria!" Darius shouted but his eyes widened as he saw that Taka was kissing Maria.

"Get off her!" A voice roared, and they saw it was Abaddon. He jumped over a crack and swung his scythe downwards but a barrier stopped his strike. Taka smirked as he kept his hand up, blocking the blow; before he looked at the unconscious Maria. "I finally have all I want." Taka said, and stood, carrying Maria, the barrier still standing. Suddenly a bright light hit Taka, even as the ground returned to normal and Maria was suddenly in someone else's arm's. "Don't you ever touch the Envoy again!" A female's voice shouted and they saw two others there with them.

One looked to be a Sorcerer and the other a Crusader; the sorcerer had red eyes and long red hair, wearing a black dress of some sort while the Crusader wore gold armor and had blond hair and blue eyes. "Who are you two?!" Taka shouted, drawing his sword's. "No one you should concern yourself with!" The woman shouted, before she ran toward the others, holding Maria. "Idiot, don't just stand there; stop him!" The female shouted to the Crusader, who sighed but attacked Taka and his demon's. "Don't worry, we were asked by Astraea to help you." The woman said as he untied Darius from the vines that had wrapped around them by Taka's power's.

After Darius was untied, he held Maria as the sorcerer untied the others and by the time she turned around, the Crusader had Taka by the collar. "Should I kill him?" The guy asked the woman, who sighed. _'Those two aren't normal humans…they aren't human! What are they?'_ Abaddon thought, staring at the two newcomer's in suspicion. "I would leave that up to our Princess." The woman said, looking at Maria. "Our Princess?" Sataka questioned, confused. "Do you two mean to say you're from Aura Kingdom?" She asked and the sorcerer sighed. "Damn, I let it slip." The woman said and suddenly glow red, before it faded.

Standing before them now was a woman with red eyes, long black hair, red and black wings; wearing a red and black skimpy dress and dark red gauntlet's on her arms. Suddenly the Crusader glowed as well and standing before them was another Eidolon; clad in gold armor with blonde hair, blue eyes and still wielding a big, long, gold and white sword. Taka struggled against the golden Eidolon's grip, trying to free himself. "Hel…damn you, you wretched traitor." He spat out, glaring at the woman who scoffed. "I left Pandemonium because it was getting boring and I wanted to see what Aura Kingdom was like. I came to love the place and never wished to leave." Hel stated simply, like it was the most obvious thing.

Bealdor gave a smirk, obviously liking the fact that Hel liked their world better than Pandemonium. "Now if you touch our Envoy again, I will tear you apart; limb from limb, arm from arm." The gold Eidolon stated and Taka growled. Taka suddenly kicked the Eidolon away and lunged toward Hel who dodged, flying back toward the gold Eidolon. "Bealdor, wake up the Princess!" Hel shouted, before she shot black flames toward Taka who dodged with his demon's. The gold Eidolon, Bealdor ran toward Darius and the group, before looking at Maria and checking her for any wounds. "Will she be okay?" Darius asked worried and Bealdor nodded.

"Yeah, she'll be fine. I just need to wake her up before her power goes out of control…again." Bealdor stated, before he glowed gold as did Maria. "Again? What do you mean?" Satako asked Bealdor, looking at his sister. "What happened earlier…the light and breaking of the earth, that was Maria's power going out of control." Bealdor stated, not moving his eyes away from Maria. "But due to how Taka was trying to infect her with demonic energy, the light was purple and black, instead of blue and white." Abaddon stated for Bealdor, so Bealdor could concentrate on waking Maria. Darius hummed, trying to wrap his head around everything.

"Why would Taka want Maria back when he hurt her last time?" Darius asked, feeling anger rush through him at the thought of Taka kissing Maria. Abaddon sighed, they deserved to know. "Because she has an unnaturally high power of Gaian energy within her. Many people have been after Maria for her power, because she's one of the strongest Envoy's to have ever lived." He explained, before trying to remember everything he's heard people say about her. "Her power even matches Reinhardt, or she might already be stronger than him as it is." He explained, before looking at Maria.

"Most of her power is dormant though because she hasn't fully awaken as the Princess of Aura Kingdom, but that is also because Astraea refuses to tell Maria who Maria truly is." Abaddon explained, giving a sigh. "And without the Cube in Astraea's or Maria's hands, Maria can't fully awaken as it is. Usually the Heir to the throne, the Princess or True Wielder completely awaken when they become connected to the Cube completely." Bealdor stated as he removed his hand. Slowly Maria's eyes opened and for a split second they glowed blue before returning to their golden color.

Suddenly a blast of demonic energy headed toward them and Bealdor used his sword to block the attack, before looking around, seeing Hel unconscious a few feet away and gasped as he ran toward her. "Hel!" He shouted, kneeling down to her, holding her close. "DIE!" Taka shouted as he raised his swords as they glowed black and purple. A ball formed above his head before he swung his swords downwards as the ball headed toward them all. Everyone attempted to cover themselves, when suddenly Maria jumped forward. "Maria!" Everyone shouted, worried for their safety as they were trying to protect her from Taka.

Maria rose her hands, before calling out to the Cube. "Cube of Gaia, respond to my voice! Help shield me and my allies, allow us to survive this battle to see another day. Please, help me!" Maria shouted when suddenly Saari, Sachi, Quelkulan, Bealdor and Hel began glowing. A beam connected to each Eidolon there and they threw their hands up with Maria; a barrier formed around the group, absorbing the attack. Taka gasped in fear as he realized what happened and when Maria lowered her hand toward him, the Eidolon's still glowing; the attack was redirected back at him. Taka tried to block with his swords but they broke and he screamed as the attack hit him and he fell down, unconscious.

When everything settled down, Maria and her Eidolon's stopped glowing and Saari caught Maria before she collapsed. "Great job our Envoy, you did well." Saari said, smiling at Maria, who smiled back. "Thank you for your help Saari, Sachi, Quelkulan...Bealdor and Hel...thank you." Maria said, lowering her head in gratefulness, yet Bealdor with Hel seemed shocked. "How…how do you know us?" Bealdor asked and Hel growled…had his mother taught Bealdor nothing of manner's?!

Maria hummed, not sure how she knew their names. "I…I don't know, I just have this feeling that I knew you two. And when I looked at you two, your names came to me." She explained, before she showed nervousness. "…It is Bealdor and Hel, right?" Maria asked, hoping she was right. Hel smiled and flew forward a little, kneeling to Maria with a soft smile. "You are correct young Envoy, that is our names. I am Hel and this is Bealdor; we were asked by Astraea to come and assist you when she felt some Envoy's in danger. And judging by the shape-shifter's power here, I would say she was correct in assuming there was more than one." Hel said looking at Abaddon, who blushed at her gaze.

Lilliana smiled as she hopped forward a little, back to her energetic self. "Thank you for helping us." She said with a smile and Bealdor returned it. "No problem, it was our honor to help out. Not to mention we finally got to meet the Envoy who every Eidolon has been raving about." Bealdor said with a chuckle and Maria blushed…all the Eidolon's knew her? Hel stood and flew back to Bealdor before wrapping her arms around the God of Light's waist. "We must get going, we still have things to do. I hope we meet again." Hel said and disappeared with Bealdor, gold and red sparkles left in their absence. Maria looked at Taka and nodded to Kavar as he walked over and picked her up, slinging the boy over his shoulder. They left quickly afterwards, intent on heading back to Navea and getting ready for their next mission.


	21. Blizzard Berg

It had been two months since Maria and her group defeated Taka and had been asked to go to the front lines to help defeat the Shadow Knight. Maria sighed as she readjusted the mirror-assassin's armor she wore, the black and blue fitting nicely and it defiantly resembled her connection to the Cube. Her and Akane, her other Envoy friend aside from Abaddon, had matching outfits, it's just where it was blue on Maria, it was red on Akane, matching Akane's eyes. Maria looked at her group and smiled; seeing everyone ready themselves to depart back to Vulture's Vale. Darius was fixing his advance-futuristic armor, making sure it wasn't too tight, before he grabbed his new canon and strapped it to his back. Looking at Lilliana, the young girl groaned as she fixed her vest to her wind-runner outfit, before she strung her bow a few times.

She heard a thud behind her and turned around only to see Kavar had fallen down as he tried to get his Griffin Paladin armor over his head. She sighed and walked toward him, helping him as he lifted it again and she helped him get it on. "Heavy?" She asked with a smirk, yet he growled. "Not a word from you, it's heavier than the armor I normally wear." Kavar stated blushing in embarrassment and Maria giggled. "Sorry, couldn't help myself." Maria said, before she walked toward Sachi and sat down, watching the others ready themselves.

Luther had just finished fixing his Dragon armor, having gotten a black and blue one to replace his pure-black outfit; before he helped Akina straighten the collar on her Lava Lord armor. Looking toward Maki, she saw that Toraka was fixing the lacing to the back of Maki's Royal Vestment, her parents having sent it to her for the battle up ahead. She noticed Toraka was now wearing a gold, purple and white outfit; before she realized he was wearing the Winged Noble's outfit, something he stated was trendy in his family.

"Making sure we're ready?" A voice asked beside her and looking to her right, she saw Sataka smiling at her. "Yeah, just want to make sure we're at our best. I realize you're wearing the Dark Draconic robes." Maria observed and Sataka nodded. "Yep, my old one got ruined at Vulture's Vale, so I got this one in place of the old one. Seems to fit better though in my opinion." Sataka said, before she helped Lilliana with her outfit. Maria looked at her brother, seeing him fix the Draconic Warrior outfit her wore and it made her laugh.

The look on his face told her he was not pleased with the outfit he was wearing but he'd bear it if it kept him alive…though she knew he'd throw a fit the moment something went wrong. She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder and smiled as she saw Sachi, Saari and Quelkulan...now she knew why there was a purple border around the room. "Ready?" Sachi asked and Maria nodded, standing. "Yep! Let's show the Shadow Knight's army what it is we can do!" Maria shouted and they nodded. "Alright, we'll be separating into groups. I want you all to head to Vulture's Vale and help the alliance there." Maria said, shocking them.

"The Shadow Knight's army has broken through the first line of defense and we need to back them up. If things get worse there, we need to be there to make sure we retake Vulture's Vale. In the meantime me, Sachi, Saari, Quelkulan, Akane and Alessa will head to Blizzard Berg and help them. They are in desperate need of Envoy's at the moment and we've been asked directly to head to there first." Maria stated as Akane stood beside her.

"Will you be okay?" Darius asked, worry in his eyes and Maria nodded. "I'll be fine, I'm with Akane and we've been training together to do some things to surprise Reinhardt." Maria stated with a smirk, Akane giving a smirk of her own. "When you get to Vulture's Vale, you'll end up meeting Abaddon, he said he'll help you out. Seeing as he's an Envoy, they might need him there." Maria said and the group nodded. "We'll escort you to Blizzard Berg though, don't want anything happening on the way there." Darius said and Maria giggled but agreed…of course he'd worry.

 **Blizzard Berg:** They carefully treaked the way to the camp at Blizzard Berg, knowing that the undead were running amok. Reinhardt had seemed to almost master using the Cube of Gaia and was currently using it to bring the dead back to life. They had learned he was trying to master the Cube of Gaia so he could bring Luciana back, who Maria had learned was Akane's mother but of course it was only natural as Akane was Reinhardt's daughter. "I think I see the camp!" Lilliana shouted over the sound of the blizzard…it wasn't called Blizzard Berg for nothing.

"Alright, let's get going!" Kavar shouted and they moved faster toward the camp. Suddenly the blizzard stopped and the group looked around in worry, Maria felt uneasy. "Akane, hurry to the camp." Maria said, not tearing her eyes from the pathway leading left. "What? B-but Maria-!" Akane was cut off as Maria pushed her and fireball hitting right where Akane once stood. "GO!" Maria shouted and Akane nodded, running off. Looking back toward the path, they saw a woman with long blue hair, wearing the Inferno Wizard robes, holding a gold staff with a gold and blue ring at the tip and it glowed red before fading back to blue.

"You've gotten smarter it seems." The woman stated with a sneer, her dark purple eyes glaring at Maria. "You're that Sandra girl." Maria said, not shocked to see her. "And this time I will get what I want!" Sandra shouted, before a tornado sped toward them and they stood their ground. "Sandra, stop this, please!" Luther shouted, and Sandra glared at him. "Not when my Lord Shadow Knight demands for me to kill this woman!" Sandra shouted as she sent a bolt of lightning toward Luther who blocked with his claws.

 _'Did she just say Lord Shadow Knight?'_ Luther thought, looking at Sandra in sorrow. "She's being controlled, I see a fragment of the Cube in her forehead." Sataka shouted as she noticed something glimmer off Sandra. "Something's wrong though. The fragment…it's red. AH!" Sataka shouted as she was hit into a tree by wind, before lightning struck her. "Aunt Sataka!" Darius shouted but Toraka was quick. Toraka shot a few rounds at Sandra, who used ice to block, before he ran toward Sataka and helped her up after Maki healed her.

Maria charged forward with Saari, Sachi backing her up with a healing spell and the two struck their swords side-by-side and Sandra screamed in pain as a gash appeared on her chest. "Maria please, don't kill her! Like Sataka said, she's being controlled!" Luther shouted and ran forward to stop Maria and save Sandra. Suddenly a blast of wind threw Maria and Saari back and Luther jumped over the line of attack, before he struck the area before Sandra, catching her off guard. Her staff fell from her hands as she glared at him and Luther pulled a knife out, before he pinned Sandra to the ground.

"Maria!" Luther called and Maria nodded as she ran toward them with the others. "Can someone put her to sleep?" Luther asked and Sandra's eyes closed as Maki played a lullaby. Maria carefully nudged the knife under the fragment lodged in Sandra's forehead but she cursed when the spot started leaking blood. "This isn't good…it's completely attached to her skin. Sachi, Saari, Quelkulan, can you three try and connect me to the Cube?" Maria asked and Sachi paled. "Y-you can't be serious?" Sachi asked, eyes wide. "That would take way too long for us to connect to it, it doesn't respond to us anymore." She stated, worried about connecting.

"You can't by yourself but with an Envoy's power coursing in you as well, it possible, right?" Maria asked, a note of desperation in her voice. "We can try." Saari stated and the three closed their eyes as a beam connected them to one another and they glowed blue. A few minutes passed before a blue light converged upon Maria and placing her hands over the fragment, it turned blue. Maria grabbed the fragment and jerked the fragment back, and it slowly pulled out of Sandra's head and the skin healed over as the light covered Sandra to heal her. Saari, Sachi and Quelkulan stopped glowing as did Maria, she looked at the fragment as it glowed brightly in her hands.

"That's impressive. How did you know to do that Maria?" Sataka asked but Maria shrugged. "I don't know, it's like things that deal with the Cube come to me on instinct." Maria said distracted as she lightly stroke the fragment, unaware of a pair of eyes watching her. "Slowly but surely she is reconnecting to the Cube as it seeks her out. Soon Reinhardt will lose his control over the Cube and do whatever he can to gain it back. Though as she reconnects it will obey her and only her." The woman, Astraea said as she watched from afar. Another Eidolon appeared, wearing a purple, silver and black outfit.

"Goddess Astraea, the Eidolon's have gathered and are awaiting us." A man with dragon wings said, his red dragon-like eyes watching Astraea. Astraea sighed, yet didn't move her gaze away from Maria and her group. "I understand Alucard…tell them I will be there shortly." Astraea said and the man nodded as he disappeared. "My dearest, please watch over us as we continue to fight this war." Astraea said to the sky, before she disappeared as well.

 **Later:** Maria yawned as she sat on guard around the campsite at Blizzard Berg, looking into the night sky. After they remove the fragment from Sandra and she came to, she agreed to join them to atone for what she had done. She told them that while she was traveling she was captured by a man with white hair and wielding a red Cube and then everything went black. She couldn't remember what is was she did or had done, but promised to make up for it. "At least she's on our side now." Quelkulan said to Maria, having sensed her thoughts and Maria nodded with a smile. "I agree, things will only get tougher from here on out, so it's good to have another ally on our side." Maria stated and Quelkulan nodded.

Suddenly he tensed and hissed as he floated upwards, causing Saari and Sachi to appear and worrying Maria. "Quelkulan, what is it?" Maria asked worried, hand on the bell. "There is something approaching…I see an army heading our way." Quelkulan said and Maria gasped. Maria grabbed rang the bell and Quelkulan roared, causing the soldier's to awaken and everyone to jump up ready. As they left their tents, Maria was already charging forward and destroyed what seemed to have been a skeleton. Akane charged forward with Alessa and struck her own skeleton, Alessa's horn glowing as she helped Akane.

Maria was dragged further and further into the hoard, destroying anything that got to close…when suddenly a voice spoke. _**"Can you hear me?"**_ A woman's voice spoke and Maria nearly froze. _"Who is this?"_ Maria asked with her mind, even as she destroyed another skeleton. _**"Unless you use the power of the Cube, you will be destroyed!"**_ The voice said urgently and Maria growled as she was knocked to the ground. _"How can I use the Cube?"_ Maria asked, knocking the skeleton off her before she jumped back, using **Whirling Dance** to destroy a few more around her.

 _"I'm not even in possession of it, I have no way to connect unless I ask my Eidolon's to connect me. And we're in the middle of a battle, I can't ask them to do that!"_ Maria shouted back through her mind, wondering what was going on. The voice chuckled, though it was soft and assuring...Maria could sense no foul play in the woman's voice. _**"You don't have to ask them, you can use the fragment you possess to do it. Though it's just a fragment, it's still enough to let you connect to the Cube and draw some power. It'd be enough to destroy this horde."**_ The voice said and Maria growled as she looked around.

She noticed they were greatly outnumbered as was what destroyed simply stood back up and attacked again. Maria growled, she had no choice but the trust whoever it was that was speaking to her. She noticed the fragment was glowing and grabbed it, before sighing. _'This is so stupid…but I've gotta try.'_ Maria thought as she rose her hand with the fragment. "Cube of Gaia, I call upon you. Grant me the power needed to defeat our foes!" Maria said and began glowing blue and she noticed she felt power flowing into her.

 _'It's working!'_ Maria thought with a smirk before she closed her eyes. "Help me defeat the enemies that surround us, the enemies that threaten our very existence! Help me erase these monster's from our sight!" Maria shouted and suddenly the fragment pulsed. A wave shot from Maria and the fragment, even as she glowed brighter and hit the skeleton's. They screeched as they were burned by blue fire and fell down and the wave flew out across Blizzard Berg, preventing anything from getting up again. Soon the glow faded and Maria saw that nothing but dust was left and stumbled, suddenly feeling incredibly fatigued.

"Maria!" Akane shouted and ran toward her, helping her stand straight. "You okay?" She asked and Maria nodded. "Y-yeah, I'll be okay, don't worry about me Akane." Maria said and smiled at the girl reassuringly. "Well…if you say so." Akane said with a sigh and Maria nodded.

 **Two Weeks Later:** Quite some time had passed since the horde appeared and things had just been getting harder. In the past two weeks, Maria had seen more people buried than she had ever wanted to see. Andre and Victoria were there though and helped her and Akane through the troubling times, even Hiyami appeared to give them a hand. Though she hadn't stayed long after Akane asked Hiyami to head to Vulture's Vale to help the others. That's when things seemed to suddenly things take a turn…for the worst. "Commander Andre!" Someone shouted and Maria with Akane saw a soldier run toward Andre. "What is it?!" He asked the panicked soldier, who was panting as he reached the Commander.

"We-we just received word that the Shadow Knight has appeared. He's over at the area of Luciana's grave and he has a giant red cube with him." The soldier spoke but he was shaking like a leaf. "He's here…now's the time to strike! Everyone, round up; we're moving!" Andre commanded and everyone nodded. "Maria, Akane, did you hear that?" Victoria asked and they nodded. "Yeah, we heard alright. We'll scout out the area ahead and defeat any obstacles in our way; that way the army can move without worry." Maria said and Victoria nodded with a smile. "Alright you two, move out!" Victoria commanded and the two girls nodded.

Maria summoned Quelkulan who roared and allowed Maria and Akane on, before he flew to the designated destination. As they got there, they saw the path was covered with siren's and skeleton's, making Akane groan. "Do we really have to fight all of these?" Akane asked, and Maria nodded. "Looks like it if we want a clear path toward Reinhardt. Looks like he's still taking his sweet time in appearing." Maria said as she saw a portal near the other side of Blizzard Berg. "Looks like we got a fight on our hands." Akane said and Maria nodded as they flew back to the path and landed. "Let the fun start!" Maria shouted and charged toward the battle with Akane, Alessa, Sachi, Saari and Quelkulan.

 **Later:** Maria and Akane finally got to the other side and stopped at the portal…waiting for that madman to appear. Suddenly the portal began crackling with power and electricity and the girls readied themselves with Alessa and Sachi; the only two able to fight beside them. Suddenly a man with long white hair, red eyes and clad in black armor appeared. He landed before the two, before he sneered at them, even as his Eidolon, Aschensturm, appeared beside him. "You two again." He stated, angry to see them. It had been some time ago but after Maria had meet Akane and during the time between Port Skandia's destruction and their arrival at Blizzard Berg, Reinhardt had attacked Navea.

Akane and Alessa had contacted Maria and her group and Maria with Akane fought against Reinhardt, driving him away from Navea after Maria did something with the Cube. What it was, she couldn't remember but she did it. "Hasn't the 'True Envoy' had enough to deal with?" Reinhardt questioned as he glared at Maria, who seemed confused. "True Envoy?" Maria asked, looking down. "Stop trying to confuse her you madman!" Akane shouted, worry in her red eyes. After the incident at the Church in Navea where it was figured out who Maria truly was and after Reinhardt figured out who she was, everyone had done their best to protect Maria's secret…mainly from Maria herself.

"Has no one told her?" Reinhardt asked Akane, who growled at him, yet this only caused Reinhardt to chuckle. "Heehee, I see…so no one has told Maria the truth." Reinhardt said as he leaned his sword against his shoulder. Maria was even more confused, thus turning her head to Akane to get answers. "Akane, what is he talking about?" Maria asked Akane, who only looked away. "I can't tell you…it was stated you would find out yourself." Akane whispered but Maria narrowed her eyes; that didn't answer her question!

"Can someone tell me what's going on?!" Maria demanded as Andre's army appeared. "No one told you?" Reinhardt asked Maria with a brow raised but she only seemed more confused and agitated. "Then let me clarify things for you…Princess of Aura Kingdom." Reinhardt said and Maria froze…Princess? Suddenly the Cube of Gaia appeared but it was red…when suddenly an image rippled on the surface of the Cube. Everyone suddenly felt like a trance overcame them…and an image appeared before their eyes.

 **Image:** _**A girl laughed as she was carried by a woman with tannish/blonde hair, wearing green and white armor, who soon bowed before a man who had black hair and a woman who had blonde hair. "Your Majesty, your Highness; your daughter had wished to see you." The woman said and the Queen giggled. "Oh Uzuriel, you needn't be so formal with us, you know we love seeing our daughter." The woman said and stood up. "Mommy!" The girl said and got out of the Eidolon, Uzuriel's arms. "Hi dear, did you have a good time?" The woman asked, and the girl nodded.**_

 _ **"I sure did. Uzuriel and Aelius are really nice, I love being around them!" The girl, who looked like a younger Maria with blue eyes stated. "That's wonderful dear! Did you tell them thank you for the tour of Aura Kingdom?" The woman asked daughter, who nodded eagerly. As time seemed to passed, it quickly became nighttime as the woman raised her arms and the Cube gently descended toward her arms. The blonde haired Queen laid her head against it and sighed…when suddenly the doors opened.**_

 _ **"Astraea…are you sure you really want to do this?" The King asked, walking toward his wife. "Yes Nocturne, I have no choice. Pandemonium is closer to overtaking us and my daughter isn't ready to become Queen just yet." The woman, Astraea said with a sigh, turning to look at Nocturne. "If I don't become the next Guardian Goddess, my daughter will be forced to take that position." Astraea stated and Nocturne sighed, sadly. "Alright, I understand. Just be careful…I take it your sister knows of the plan?" He asked her, and Astraea nodded.**_

 _ **"Yes, my twin sister understands…Maria has been unable to tell us apart, it will not be hard for her to mistaken my sister as her mother." Astraea said but sniffled…she didn't wish to leave her daughter. "Astraea…" The King began, but silenced himself…there was nothing he could do. "Has the Cube shown you anything yet?" Nocturne asked Astraea, who nodded with a deep sigh. "Yes, it has shown me the True Wielder…and the True wielder of the Cube…is our daughter." Astraea said and Nocturne gasped.**_

 _ **"You can't be serious?" He asked her, yet she nodded and he hummed, rubbing his chin. "So the Eidolon's were right; Maria is the True Wielder…the true Envoy." The king stated and Astraea nodded. "Yes, she is. It's no surprise though as she is the next Heir to the Throne, and is our daughter, the Princess." She said, turning back to the Cube, stroking the surface. "Not to mention she seems to have a mental connection to the other Eidolon's but rather or not she knows this is a different story." Astraea said when suddenly Aelius entered. "Astraea, the rift opened!" he shouted, and Astraea gritted her teeth in anger.**_

 _ **"Alright, gather all the Eidolon's! Command them to form a circle around the castle. Get Uzuriel to stay with Maria in her room and get Bealdor to help Uzuriel. We can't afford the Princess to be hurt." Astraea shouted and he nodded. "Astraea…" Nocturne seemed to question, but she cut him off. "Don't worry…I know what to do." Astraea said as she began glowing gold.**_

 _ **The image rippled to show the King, Nocturne, laughing with a woman who looked similar to Astraea but had green eyes instead and she was a bit darker in skin color. Maria though didn't seem to notice as she was sitting in a lady's lap and they saw it was the current Guardian Goddess, Astraea and she smiled at Maria. Suddenly a flower crown on her head and she smiled at Maria as Maria returned it. "Do you like it Goddess Astraea?" Maria asked and she nodded.**_

 _ **Suddenly the place began shaking and everyone screamed as they tried to hold onto something. "What's going on?!" Nocturne shouted, when suddenly he was pushed to the ground. "Nocturne! AH!" The woman shouted, feeling a pressure on her as well. "Daddy! Mommy! Astraea, what's happening?!" Maria demanded of the Goddess, her crown falling off her head. "I don't know! AH!" Astraea shouted in pain as a demonic ball of energy hit her. Suddenly, standing before them was a man clad in black armor and he glared at the King and Queen, before he snapped his hands and the pressure ceased.**_

 _ **"I'm sorry about that, didn't mean to cause any panic." The man, obviously Reinhardt, stated; looking around the room. His gaze landed on Maria and he seemed shocked, before he chuckled softly; turning his gaze back to the King and Queen, who were panting, sitting back in their chairs. "I need the Cube." Reinhardt said seriously, narrowing his eyes at the King, Queen and the Cube above their heads. The Queen growled, how dare he attack them as he had and then demand things! "And why should we hand the Cube over to someone who just attacked us?!" She shouted, glaring at Reinhardt.**_

 _ **"I didn't mean to cause any harm but sometimes it's hard to control my own Envoy power." Reinhardt state as his Eidolon, Aschensturm, appeared. "You are an Envoy as well?" Nocturne questioned, shocked to see one aside from his daughter, on Gaia. "Yes…now will you hand over the Cube." Reinhardt asked but then Uzuriel appeared. "That would not be wise, not with how twisted your heart is. Your mind is clouded in rage and guilt, your heart is twisted and sorrowful…you have ill-intentions with our Cube." Uzuriel stated, glaring at Reinhardt.**_

 _ **What happened next was a blur with the King and Queen refusing to hand over the Cube and the next thing everyone noticed was the Queen and King falling dead. "Mommy! Daddy!" Maria shouted, blue eyes wide in horror. Uzuriel went to strike Reinhardt but was blown away and knocked unconscious. Astraea growled and stood up, lance and shield ready and struck at him. Reinhardt dodged, before he stabbed Astraea and yanking his sword back, Astraea fell down, clutching her bleeding wound.**_

 _ **"No, Astraea!" Maria shouted, before looking up seeing Reinhardt before her. "No! Don't hurt her!" Astraea shouted as she struggled to stand. "I'm sorry child but after witnessing this…I cannot let you live." Reinhardt said and rose his sword. As Astraea screamed for him to stop, he swung his sword at Maria, when suddenly her eyes began glowing blue. The ground began shaking and breaking and Reinhardt lost his footing. "Oh no…she's losing control of her power!" Astraea shouted, when suddenly she saw Uzuriel stand.**_

 _ **"Astraea, the Cube is shaking! I think Maria is trying to control the Cube!" Uzuriel shouted, worry in her purple eyes. "No! If she tries to control the Cube…she might die!" Astraea shouted and stood, still clutching her bleeding wound. Suddenly everything slowly began to turn white and Astraea gasped in horror…was Gaia…being destroyed?! Suddenly Reinhardt disappeared and the Eidolon's glowed blue, before they disappeared…then everything went black.**_ **Image End.**

Everyone suddenly came back to reality, and noticed that Reinhardt stood before them with a smirk. Suddenly Maria fell to her knees, screaming in pain as memories flooded back to her. "Maria!" Akane shouted and knelt to her, hugging her. "No! Make it stop! I can't control it! No…NO! This is a lie! It has to be!" Maria shouted, tears leaking past her barrier. "Reinhardt!" Andre shouted and Reinhardt just shrugged. "What you all saw what the truth. Maria is the next Heir to the Throne, Princess of Aura Kingdom and the True Wielder of the Cube of Gaia." Reinhardt stated and everyone looked at Maria to see her shaking.

"Astraea…is my mother, I'm actually a Princess from Gaia…" Maria held a hand to her mouth in horror as a different thought occurred to her. "Am I the reason this is happening?" She asked herself and Akane shook her head, trying to tell Maria she was wrong. "No, you're not the reason this happened!" Akane stated, eyes wide as she tried to reason with Maria. "It all happened because Reinhardt wanted to get the Cube to use for his evil intentions." Akane said then heard Reinhardt scoff. "I don't see wanting to bring Luciana back an evil act." Reinhardt said simply but Victoria glared at him.

"But you're blaming the Church for Luciana's death! We did everything we could to keep her alive but it was useless, then you go blaming us for her death!" Victoria shouted and brought out her sword and shield. "It's my fault…" Maria whispered but Akane shook her head. "Maria, no! It's not your fault, why do you-?" Akane was cut off as Maria suddenly looked up and glared at Reinhardt. "Even if it's my fault this happened…" Maria shot up, grabbing her swords and charging. "I will not forgive you for killing my family!" Maria shouted as she struck at Reinhardt, her swords glowing blue as she cut into the armor.

"Cube of Gaia, can you hear me?!" Maria shouted to the red cube above her. "Please, heed my call," Maria shouted as she struck Reinhardt again, breaking some of his armor. "This man has tainted you for far too long and has shown us the truth of what happened!" Maria shouted before she jumped up, avoiding a swing from Reinhardt's sword; the others watching in shock. "Now that I know the truth, I know who I am!" Maria said, before she glared at Reinhardt, eyes flashing blue for a split second. "I am Maria, Princess of Aura Kingdom!" She shouted as she flipped mid-air and swung her swords vertically, two arcs heading toward Reinhardt.

"I am the next Heir to the Throne of Aura Kingdom that resides on Gaia and you have chosen me as the next True Wielder of the Cube. Please, lend me your strength!" Maria shouted and her whole body glowed blue. Everyone gasped as hundreds of beams from across Terra sped toward their area and struck Reinhardt, causing him to shout in pain as his armor broke in multiple places. Maria saw her chance and nodded to Akane, who nodded back. "Head back to camp, that's where Reinhardt is going to launch an attack!" Akane shouted and Andre nodded as he and Victoria ran back to camp. Maria and Akane charged Reinhardt, their blades glowing blue as blue specks reappeared on the Cube of Gaia, slowly returning it to normal.

Reinhardt blocked their blades before throwing them back, even as Aschensturm knocked Alessa and Sachi away from their Envoy's. It soon became a battle of Eidolon's fighting each other, even as Envoy's fought each other; Maria and Akane did their best to work together but it seemed Reinhardt knew what would happen. He would usually cause the two to nearly slice the other's arm off as he was quick to predict there movements, quickly moving as he had memorized how they fight. Suddenly the Cube began glowing red and the two girls gasped looking up.

"Maria!" Akane shouted and the Princess growled. Maria thrusted her hands toward the Cube and a blue glowed covered one side, even as a red glow covered the other. Reinhardt seemed shocked, before he looked at Maria, seeing the girl struggling to keep the Cube in her hands and used more power to pull it toward him. "The Cube doesn't belong to you!" Maria shouted and used more power to keep it in her hands. Akane watched carefully, making sure nothing wrong would happen.

Now that Maria knew who she was, she was able to control a slight portion of the power the Cube placed upon her…enough to stop her from being controlled at least. And it seemed Maria was able to accept her fate, Akane remembered how Maria spoke about feeling like she didn't belong on Terra; after Sachi told them about Maria's past Akane knew why Maria constantly spoke about it. Having been born on Gaia, Terra was a completely new world to her…literally. Though she felt in a familiar place due to the Cube of Gaia being on Terra and allowing the flow of life go through their world. Though it did seem Maria had a few questions for her mother, Astraea the Guardian Goddess; things seemed like they would get more complicated. 

"Wretched child, die!" Reinhardt shouted and Aschensturm moved away from Sachi and Alessa, charging Maria. "No, Maria!" Akane shouted and ran to protect Maria. It seemed it was unneeded as a gold light shone between Maria and Aschensturm and a shield protected Maria from the attack. Standing protectively before Maria was Astraea, who glared at the dark steed as it neighed in surprise. "You will not harm my daughter!" Astraea shouted as she struck Aschensturm, causing the Eidolon to neigh in pain. "Aschensturm!" Reinhardt shouted, worried he might actually be defeated.

"I-I can't…hold on…much longer…" Maria said, arms shaking in strain. Suddenly smoke started coming from an arm…before the worst happened. The sound of something buzzing was heard and electricity crackled…before Maria's right arm exploded! Maria's eyes dilated before she screamed in pain, losing her control over the Cube. The Cube turned red and fell to Reinhardt who sneered at the bleeding Maria, who clutched the area were her arm once was. "Maybe this will be your end, you meddling child." Reinhardt spat out and Akane threw one sword at Reinhardt as he disappeared into a portal.

Akane's sword struck the tree behind and she cursed, but ignored it in favor of trying to save Maria. "Astraea, what do we do?" Akane asked the Goddess, Akane was about ready to start crying. "I need Uzuriel and Bealdor here; they might be able to help me save her." Astraea stated quickly and began focusing on tracking them. Suddenly a gust of wind appeared, as did a ray of light and standing next to them were Uzuriel and Bealdor; both who looked extremely worried. "Astraea, how is she?" Uzuriel asked, looking over the Envoy she was once the caretaker of. "She won't last long and if she tries to control the Cube again she will die." Astraea said as she began trying to stop the bleeding of the once robotic arm.

While Maria had robotic limbs, she still had vein's and blood in her arms that allowed her to feel pain. Even destroyed...she could still die; something people would think someone with robotic limbs wouldn't have been able to do. Seems even B.A.T had a flaw in their plans. "I fear this is what happened should she control it for too long; she lost her arm. I'm worried about the final battle against Reinhardt, what if she loses both her robotic arms and robotic legs?" Astraea asked as Bealdor quickly went to healing her.

"Is it possible to return her arms and legs back to a human state?" Akane asked, looking at the Eidolon's. Uzuriel seemed surprised at the concept, would it be possible? "It might be possible." Astraea said, looking at the Heavenly Defender for more clarification. "We've never actually tried to do it and we'd need the Cube to make it actually happen." Uzuriel said, before looking at the others. "Quelkulan, Saari, Sachi, Alessa, Bealdor, Astraea; we will need to combine our powers and connect to the Cube of Gaia." Uzuriel stated but Akane grabbed something out of Maria's pocket. "Use this, it's a fragment of the Cube of Gaia, you might be able to use that." Akane stated and Astraea nodded.

Astraea clasped her hands together with the fragment between her hands and a glow surrounded her. Looking at Maria, Astraea laid her hands upon Maria's shoulders; the glow went over her arms and formed Maria's missing arm. It shined brightly before fading, showing her arms again…and they looked normal. They didn't seem so firm anymore as a result of no metal in her arms and when Akane touched them, they didn't feel hard…they were normal! Astraea repeated the process with Maria's legs and it was the same result. The legs no longer looked too hard and they felt human. Akane smiled at Astraea, who smiled back wearily…before Maria stirred.

Looking down they saw Maria's eyes flutter open and she looked around as though she was in a daze…before she saw Astraea. Her eyes widened and tears sprung as she saw her mother, who smiled softly at her. "Maria…I'm sorry for hiding the truth from you." Astraea spoke sadly, voice heavy with shame. "I-!" She tried to explain herself but was cut off as Maria hugged her, starting to cry. "I-I…I'm just glad…to know w-who I truly am." Maria sniffled out and Astraea smiled as she hugged Maria back

 **Later:** Morning came faster than they expected as they made their way back to camp, both girls tired with their Eidolon's. Astraea, Bealdor and Uzuriel had left; each stating that they would unite with them later. "Maria! Akane!" A voice shouted and they saw Andre running toward them. "Commander Andre!" Maria shouted in relief, glad to see everyone alright. "Commander Andre Onii-san!" Akane shouted wearily yet relieved, glad to see him. "Are you two alright?" Andre asked as he neared them, looking at them in worry.

"Yeah, we're okay; don't worry about us." Maria said as she smiled at Akane, who returned the smile. Andre visible relaxed, glad to know they were...well, unharmed from the looks of it. "Still…I'm surprised to know that you're actually a Princess, Maria; also the True Wielder to the Cube of Gaia as well. So, sorry for-!" Maria waved him off, making him go silent. "Don't worry about it all Andre; I didn't even know who I was until today." She said softly, giving a reassuring smile. "And I already said I forgave you for your treatment, so stop worrying about it." She stated, hoping to make him relax and he nodded with a smile.

"Well, it seems the final battle draws near." Akane said as her and Maria walked through the camp. "Yes, it does." Maria agreed, walking through the camp with a determined look. "Also, it appears that Vulture's Vale has been taken by the Church and they are now sending reinforcements here to Blizzard Berg to help." Maria said as Abaddon relayed a message to her through the nature around them. She had always had a weird way of connecting to him through trees and stuff made of wood.

"There are still quite enough that will stay at Vulture's Vale to prevent it from falling back into Reinhardt's hands, but we are needed elsewhere." Maria said and Akane nodded in agreement. "Alright, we'll meet back up at Navea with the others and figure out our next moves." Akane said and Maria nodded, agreeing with the younger Envoy, before she spoke once more. "Once we have our groups back, all of us will head out to stop Reinhardt once and for all!" Maria stated to everyone within hearing range and the army cheered in agreement.


	22. Battle Against Reinhardt

A few months had passed since Maria learned who she was, since Vulture's Vale and Blizzard Berg fell back into the Church's control and since the group reunited. While it had only been two months since the two groups separated to take one several different places where Reinhardt had spread his chaos. Rainmist Reach, Emerald Marsh, Starstruck Plateau, Silent Ice Field, Port Morton, Candetonn Hill and few others. While Maria and her group were at Rainmist Reach and Emerald Marsh as well as Starstruck Plateau, Akane and Hiyami had travelled to Silent Ice Field, Port Morton and Candetonn Hill. Maria had wanted to go and help the younger Envoy but was was made to stay with the Makar's and Odum. Eventually she was recalled back to Navea with her group and was told Akane could handle the rest. This allowed Maria to contact Astraea and get word on the Eidolon's; Astraea explained they were almost finished rounding them all up.

Currently Maria, Darius, Lilliana, Sataka, Sandra, Luther, Akina, Toraka, Kavar, Maki, Satako as well as Akane, Hiyami, Saari, Quelkulan, Sachi, Alessa and Abaddon were all united back at Navea. It had been decided that the group would stick together now that many other places had settled down but Abaddon offered to stay with the Church's army; that way they would have an Envoy protecting them should something wrong happen. "Alright, does anyone know where Reinhardt is heading?" Sachi questioned the group; looking at the file Maria was given.

It had been recently discovered that Luciana's grave had officially been found at Silent Ice Field by Akane and Hiyami and that she had been laid to rest within Navea's walls. It had also been discovered who it was that had been speaking to Maria through the fragment, and while only Maria knew…she deemed it time to tell the others who it was. "So, you all know how Luciana was officially laid to rest?" Maria asked and the group nodded. "Well…she's actually with us right now." Maria explained and Akina looked at her like she had lost her mind.

"Maria…you sure you're okay?" Akina asked, raising a brow. "Yes, but you know the fragment I have with me?" She asked them and they nodded. "That apparently is inhabited by Luciana's soul; she is the one who told me about using the Cube to help me overpower the skeleton's that attack the camp at Blizzard Berg" Maria said as she looked at Akane, who looked at her with wide eyes. "Are you serious? Is that how you learned to do it?" Akane asked and Maria nodded. "Yeah…though I don't know if she can speak to the rest of you seeing as none of you aside from me, Akane and Abaddon, have Gaian power." Maria stated, when suddenly everyone heard a voice.

 _ **"Due to the high amount of Gaian power within the room, I do believe everyone can hear me."**_ A gentle female's voice said and everyone gasped. "Luciana, is that you?" Maria asked, and they heard the voice giggle. _**"Yes it is me; I was wondering when you'd make the connection."**_ Luciana said with a soft tone, being gentle to them all. _**"My dearest, Reinhardt, had no knowledge of my dwelling inside the Cube. I traveled to the Cube of Gaia, drawn by its purity and with a task I wished to complete."**_ Luciana explained, before they felt Gaian energy swell around Akane, even those who weren't Envoy's.

 _ **"I knew Akane would come into contact with the Cube, one way or another; so I went inside the Cube. When Reinhardt tore a fragment off, I transferred myself to the fragment and dwelt there as I lay inside Sandra."**_ She stated and they felt the energy shift around the actual library. _**"I protected her mind from the madness of the corruption and protected myself best I could. As time went on, I eventually found you Maria."**_ Luciana said,and Akane stood. "Why didn't you try letting anyone know where you were?" Akane asked her mother, holding tears back.

 _ **"Because I knew Reinhardt would try and regain the fragment to bring me back and I had not yet completed my mission."**_ Luciana explained, making Akane sigh...knowing her father, she could see that happening. _**"Now that you are here, my daughter, my task is near completion. I ask that when you fight Reinhardt to not kill him; but due subdue him enough."**_ She said and Akina growled, slamming her axe into the ground. "Why not?! That madman has killed enough people, why should he live?!" She shouted, angry at what they were being asked to do.

 _ **"I can bring him back to our side, for I know what will truly happen. Reinhardt himself is unaware but I am not. I have seen what will happen, even should Reinhardt lose or win."**_ Luciana explained and everyone felt the anger Luciana radiated from the fragment she was in, making Akina wince...she needed to speak more carefully. _ **"The overlord demon of Pandemonium, Pandoran, is working to release himself unto Terra. He has offered Reinhardt power, in exchanged for coming to Terra. He had promised to revive me if Reinhardt wins, which is why Reinhardt works tiredly for his goal. But even he is unaware of what Pandoran is planning to do."**_ Luciana stated and Sataka hummed.

"That could explain his hesitation now." Sataka said, catching everyone's attention. "Lately, if you all haven't noticed he has been hesitating in his plans, they've been slower. And even he, himself, has been acting strange lately." She explained but Lilliana seemed unsure. "Then why has he become so violent lately?" Lilliana asked worried, flailing her arms a little bit to get her point across. "Because he's agitated that's he's rethinking his plans." Sataka stated and everyone seemed nervous. "Alright then, we shall subdue him but not kill him." Maria said with a sigh as she stood.

"I will speak to Andre, Anya, Victoria, Alex, and Bishop about this; we must stop Reinhardt!" Maria said and the group nodded with a cheer. _**"We might lose our lives in this battle Maria if we do that!"**_ Saari warned Maria, wondering if Maria would stick to it. _"We might lose our lives but I would like to see Reinhardt back on the side of good."_ Maria said and felt Saari agree, making a small promise...one they would let no one know.

 **Weeks Later:** No one knew how much time had passed, everyone only focused on sleep, train, eat, train more, and sleep. It was a constant cycle that seemed to work well…when suddenly they got word from Ventos Prairie. "It seems Reinhardt has made his final move." Belenus said as they all gathered inside the Church of Navea. "The Makar has spotted Reinhardt at Wrathborne Temple with the Cube, he had begun his final plans. They believe he is making his final stand at Wrathborne Temple." Belenus said to Maria and the others.

"I can understand why he chose that area. It's connected to the afterlife and is said to harness energy of both Aura Kingdom and Pandemonium." Maria said, looking thoughtful of the information she was given. Belenus nodded, agreeing before fixing Maria with a stern look. "Maria…it is dire that you and the others head to Wrathborne Temple and put a stop to Reinhardt's plans!" Belenus shouted and Maria nodded. "We are ready to do whatever is necessary to stop him." Maria said as she gave a salute.

"On behalf of Aura Kingdom, my home world and the Eidolon's, I vow to defeat Reinhardt." Maria said as she bowed, the others following suit. "As you have stated he is to not be killed but if it comes down to it, we will kill him if he can't be stopped." Belenus said and Maria nodded. "I understand but please…we must trust Luciana." She said and Belenus nodded, giving a heavy sigh.

 **Ventos Prairie:** Everyone rode the mounts they have been given to quickly reach Wrathborne Temple to stop Reinhardt while the Church army rounded as many soldiers as possible to stop Reinhardt. Astraea had contacted Maria that morning; saying the Eidolon's were ready to help when need be. Maria had learned every Eidolon's name the past few weeks as well and she knew that when the time came she could call upon them with the fragment from the Cube. As they neared the temple, they could already see some differences with the temple. Dark energy leaked from the entrance and the temple had specks of black and red, making Maria curse…if it continued, they'd have a huge problem on their hands.

"Alright everyone, we only got one shot at this." Maria said as she dismounted the horse, the others following suit. "Reinhardt knows our formation, so we just do what we need to do. Those who use range, stay near the back, those who are front-line fighter's get close to him, the rest will dance around and hit as often as possible." Maria said as she walked a little closer to the entrance, before turning to look at Abaddon. "Abaddon, go see if Andre, Anya, Victoria, Alex, Bishop, Analisa and Odum are ready. We may need them soon." Maria stated and he nodded as he got back on his horse and galloped back to the village. "Alright everyone, let's end it here!" Maria shouted and they ran in, ready to end the war.

As they got deeper, they saw very little done to the inside of the temple; it still looked beautiful but they could see the red light of the Cube at the other end of the Temple. They ran further in, fighting a demon spawn here or there but nothing too bad. They got to the halfway point and stopped as they tried to regain their breathing; they had fought a resurrected Kelosa, the Gatekeeper and they feared what might be further in. "Maria!" A voice called out, and Maria saw Andre, Anya, Alex, Victoria, Bishop and Alex. "Where's Odum?" Maria asked Andre as she stood.

"He's staying behind with Abaddon, Analisa and Gus. They are outside the temple as we speak in case any demon's get past us." Andre stated and Maria nodded. "Understood. So far we have a feeling Reinhardt has resurrected Saint Hale, the Sacred Unicorn; seeing as he resurrected Kelosa, the Golem Gatekeeper. If so, it'll be a hard fight but we can make it." Maria said with a smile and Andre nodded with a smirk. "Let's show Reinhardt what we got!" Andre shouted and everyone nodded as they headed further in.

It turned out it was true as they saw the unicorn but something was different about Saint Hale. His body was pitch black with red eyes and his mane was a lighter shade of black with red lines in it and the fur at his hooves went from black to red. His horn pulsed with a red light and upon seeing them, he attacked. "Everyone, engage!" Maria shouted as she jumped over the unicorn and struck his back.

Darius jumped up and started shooting off rounds, even as Toraka and Lilliana got on top of the pillars and began their attacks. Sataka formed a barrier around her, Sandra and Maki, protecting them from any attacks from Hale. Luther and Satako danced around the field, hitting Hale whenever they got close enough. Kavar, Akina, Andre, Anya, Victoria, Alex and a few soldier's charged Hale as well, even as Bishop and a few priests backed them up. It wasn't long before Hale eventually fell, defeated as his body turned to ash. Maria stood and thrust her hands toward the others as they all glowed blue and felt completely refreshed.

Maria smiled, and led them past Hale's altar and to the stairs and they continued up. As they reached the top, they saw him…Reinhardt…standing below the red Cube of Gaia…and he soon noticed them as he turned toward them. "Andre...everyone." Reinhardt said with a sneer, glaring at them. "Reinhardt." Andre growled out, tightening his grip on his sword. "How long do you plan to stop me?" He asked, swinging his sword a little, obviously annoyed. "I'm ending this pitiful world to make a better one, why are you stopping me?!" Reinhardt demanded as he stood, his Eidolon Aschensturm appearing. "Because it's not right fat-I mean Reinhardt!" Akane shouted as she corrected herself.

"Do you really think mother would want something like this?!" Akane shouted, anger in her voice. "Shut up! None of you know how long I suffered, especially after you all turned my own daughter against me!" Reinhardt shouted as he swung his sword wide, nothing but hate in his eyes. "They never turned me against you; this is what I've always done!" Akane stated, before she brought her swords out, ready to fight him. "And I will continue to fight you until my last breath!" Akane shouted, glaring at him.

Reinhardt just growled, before he looked at Maria, seeing a faint outline of blue around her as the Cube seemed to already react to Maria's presence. "Heh, it seems just being near the Cube it will react to you." Reinhardt spat out and Maria nodded. "Yes, because I am the True Wielder; the True Wielder of the Cube of Gaia!" Maria shouted and Reinhardt gritted his teeth in anger. Suddenly Maria was slammed against a pillar, screaming as her back made contact with the cold stone. Everyone jumped into action at that and charged him, ready to stop him.

Lilliana, Toraka, Darius, Sataka, Sandra, Maki, Bishop and his priests stayed back, shooting attacks off or buffing the soldier's. Hiyami slammed her scythe into the ground, summoning demon's even as Reinhardt summoned his and two small demon armies fighting. Andre, Anya, Alex, Victoria, Kavar, Akina and some of the soldier's charged headfirst at Reinhardt and he summoned a few more smaller ones to slow them down, allowing him and Andre to fight one on one, even as Satako and Luther were forced to help the soldier's.

Maria groaned as Akane ran toward her and helped her up, before they summoned their Eidolon's; Alessa, Sachi, Saari and Quelkulan all appeared before helping the battle themselves. Maria jumped over a few demons and swung downwards at Reinhardt, who blocked with his sword before throwing her into Andre, who grunted as he caught her. Maria and Andre separated as a blade came toward them, before they slashed Reinhardt across the sides. Reinhardt growled, before he grabbed Maria and threw her toward a pillar but Sachi used a wall of ice to catch her.

Maria smiled gratefully at her Eidolon, before she joined Andre in battling Reinhardt again. _**"Maria, remember to not kill him; I want him alive so I can turn him."**_ Luciana's voice stated in Maria's and Andre's mind, the two nodding as they struck harder, intent on weakening him but not killing him. Reinhardt suddenly sensed a change in their behavior; yes they were hitting him but were holding back. Why were they holding back? Well, Andre was hitting as hard as he could but Maria was hitting him; purposely missing vital areas. What was she planning? As Maria charged, Reinhardt caught her by the throat and lifted her in the air, a barrier appearing around him and Maria.

"Maria!" Everyone screamed, seeing Reinhardt suddenly squeezing her neck. "Enough playing games little girl, you're trying to not kill me." He said as she squirmed, trying to get free. "Aren't you worried I'll destroy Terra, just like I forced you to destroy Gaia when I threatened you so long ago?" Reinhardt questioned and Maria took in as much air as she could. _"While I might be scared, it doesn't change the fact that I know this isn't who you truly are Reinhardt."_ Maria thought to him, his Eidolon relaying to message to Reinhardt and his red eyes widened...how did she-? "How did you do that? How are you able to talk to me in such a way?!" Reinhardt shouted and she smirked at him, doing her best to keep getting air into her lungs.

 _"All Envoys have this ability, we can only do it with Eidolon's but the Eidolon relays the message to their Envoy so the Envoy can understand what's going on."_ Maria thought and it was relayed to Reinhardt. Reinhardt gritted his teeth in anger, feeling himself boil over with rage. "You little bitch…" Reinhardt shouted as he brought his sword up and Andre gasped, charging against the Barrier. "Die!" Reinhardt shouted and as Andre finally broke the barrier, Reinhardt's sword pierced through Maria. "NO!" Everyone shouted, hearing her scream and watching as blood slid down the black blade...hitting the ground.

 **Okay, so the reason I ended the chapter on this note is not only to make a cliffy but because the next chapter has a BIG surprise and in my opinion, it doesn't FULLY fit as a battle as the surprise is HUGE! Well...it's not only one surprise, but two surprises. ^^ Well, enjoy everyone! ^^**


	23. Her Awakening!

Maria's eyes widened as she felt the pain rippled through her...before she coughed out blood and everyone froze in horror as the sword ripped through Maria. Maria suddenly went limp, blood dripping off the sword and onto the glowing ground. Reinhardt still glared at her, eyes filled with hate as he threw Maria off her sword to the ground. Sachi's eyes widened and she gripped her staff tighter…it couldn't be true…Maria couldn't be…! Screaming in rage, Sachi suddenly glowed and everyone turned toward her, even as Alessa and and the other Eidolon's screamed in rage.

Alessa and Sachi began glowing blue as the Cube pulsed; a blue glow enveloped Maria as well. "MARIA!" Sachi and Alessa shouted, as Akane froze watching her Eidolon. Suddenly Alessa grew a bite in size as more armor seemed to appear and a teal glow surrounded Sachi soon as a pink/red one surrounded Alessa. When the glows faded, Alessa and Sachi looked completely different. Alessa had more armor on her and it was pink trimmed red and the headpiece covered the bottom half of her horn even as little wing accessories came from the chest-plate. Blue gauntlets covered Alessa's shoulders and hips were it was soon noticed pale pink markings covered Alessa's body.

They also noticed that Alessa's mane and tail was a more red color but stripes of blue/purple hair was seen as well and her horn was a bit longer. A light blue glow surrounded her horn and she had pink armor on her hooves, it was also trimmed red. "Alessa?" Akane questioned and Alessa turned toward Akane with a nod. "Sachi?!" They heard Anya shout, and they looked at the young Eidolon to see she was different as well. Her hair was now a teal color, as were her eyes and even her outfit was different.

On her head piece where it was pink and purple, it was now teal in place of pink and light blue in place of purple. Her outfit was now black with teal slashing's and white trimming; with one side of the skirt longer than the rest looking very much like a maiden and she had a necklace with a red gem that glowed. Sachi looked at Reinhardt with a deadly glare that made even Andre pale a little…she was beyond anger. But why hadn't her, Saari, and Quelkulan disappeared? If Maria died, they had all believed her Eidolon's to disappear.

"That…hurt!" A voice shouted and turning toward where Maria had once laid, they saw her stand as her body glowed blue. Suddenly an outfit took place of what once was on her, shocking them all. A dark blue chest piece covered her chest, as did hip guards around her waist and dark blue gauntlets around her wrist to her elbow where they formed to a point. She had shin guards that covered her feet as they were attached to the shoes; it still looked like her mirror's assassin garb...but with some differences.

They noticed trimming of light blue like the cube of Gaia at the top and bottom of her armor and when the light reflected off her armor it shimmered like the Cube of Gaia as well. Under her armor was black leather and she had fingerless black gloves that covered her whole arm with slashing's of white in some areas. The armor wasn't bulky and it seemed thinned but not to where it would break; it was just thin enough to where she still had perfect mobility like her original mirror assassin's armor.

"Maria?" Darius questioned in joy and relief, he was ecstatic to see her alive. "Eidolon's, come to me!" Maria shouted and suddenly the area was engulfed in a blue light. "Not on my watch!" Reinhardt shouted and his demons ran past the soldiers to escape the temple, hoping to wreak havoc on Terra. Maria didn't move her eyes and his expression didn't change from determination, though she did focus her attention to the others. "Andre, you and the others must stop the demons. They are going to leave the temple and we don't have enough guards stationed outside the temple to hold the horde off!" Maria commanded, her voice sounding powerful and he nodded.

"Everyone, we must stop the demons from leaving the temple!" Andre shouted and everyone nodded, running after the demons. "What of Maria?" Darius shouted, even as Akane stopped with Alessa. "Maria, will be fine. She has all the Eidolon's coming to help her stop Reinhardt but we have a job to do!" Andre shouted as him and Alex pulled Akane and Darius, Alessa following them.

Suddenly blue lights hit the area around Maria and standing around her was the Eidolon's of Aura Kingdom. Astraea, Grimm, Serif, Abraxas, Aelius, Alucard, Bahadur, Bealdor, Bel-Chandra, Cyril, Eligos, Endora, Ghodroon, Gigas, Hansel and Gretel, Hel, Higa, Kaiser Zeta, Kotonoha, Kusanagi, Maja, Nalani, Nazrudin, Faust, Serena, Cesela, Shirayuki, Tanith, Tigerius Caesar, Tsubaki, Uzuriel, Vayu, Vermillion, Yarnaros, Cleopawtra and Zaahir.

All of them appeared to aid her call, even as Sachi, Saari and Quelkulan came up beside her. "Can you face all of us, Reinhardt?" Maria asked, her gold eyes having a slash of blue in them, due to her awakening to her call as the True Envoy. Reinhardt sneered and called upon demons and a full battle began. Eidolon fought against demon and in the middle were Reinhardt and Maria, exchanging blows with one another and trying to kill/subdue the other. Reinhardt didn't want to kill Maria, hoping he could keep her around to use against her friends; while Maria didn't want to kill Reinhardt for Luciana's mission. Maria jumped over Reinhardt, avoiding his sword before she spun to kick his head.

Reinhardt grabbed her leg and slammed her into the ground but it didn't harm Maria as the armor seemed to heal her wounds and she struck him again. The Cube of Gaia above them had some blue returning to it and Reinhardt cursed…if this lasted much longer, he'd surely lose…and he'd never see Luciana again. "Why won't you die?!" Reinhardt shouted as he swung at her but she dodged the blade. "I can't die, I can't fail my friends and family, nor can I fail this world I have come to call home!" Maria shouted as she swung her swords downwards, two blue arcs heading toward Reinhardt.

Reinhardt blocked the arcs with his sword as they dissipated and hit the wall far behind him. Reinhardt charged Maria and they clashed blades again, sparks flying between them as blue aura and red aura appeared around them and clashed against the other as well. Maria skidded back before she struck again, their blades still clashing and then a flurry of blows was made between them as they tried to hit the other but were unsuccessful. Maria growled, jumped over him and midair used **Whirling Dance** but Reinhardt threw a red Cube at her, yet she destroyed it still hitting him.

As she landed, she used **Deadly Wink** quickly followed by **Slash Cut** , and ended with **Snowflower**. As she landed after that skill, she was hit by a ball of black energy, but she used **Cross Slash** to disperse it. She then charged Reinhardt again, their blades clashing and Reinhardt forced her swords down and struck her. Maria used **Swift Somersault** to try and dodge but still got her side cut in the process. She looked toward her right side, seeing a gash that leaked blood instantly and cursed but stood either way and clashed against him again. It seemed her armor couldn't heal all her wounds.

"I won't fall Reinhardt, I will stop you!" Maria shouted and grabbed his head, before she focused on her fragment. _"Luciana, I have him! Quick!"_ Maria shouted and suddenly a voice spoke around them. _**"Reinhardt, can you hear me?"**_ A voice asked and Reinhardt gasped…his demon's disappearing and the Eidolon's readied themselves, waiting for anything else. "It can't be…Luciana?" Reinhardt asked, looking around as Maria landed and backed up a bit. _**"It's me my dearest, it's me Reinhardt."**_ The voice of Luciana spoke and Reinhardt fell to his knees.

"I-impossible…you died. You were killed by the illness." Reinhardt choked out, covering his mouth. _**"Yes, I was…but my soul lingered. I was drawn to the Cube of Gaia by its purity and light, residing inside the Cube. Reinhardt, you must stop what you're doing!"**_ Luciana shouted and Reinhardt looked at the Cube as Maria attached the fragment to the Cube. "B-but why?! I'm doing this for you!" Reinhardt shouted, unshed tears in his eyes. _**"I know but this isn't what I wanted. I never wished for you to wreak havoc on Terra, Belenus and the Church did all they could; I understood. I had Andre take Akane away to Port Skandia to prevent her from getting sick and because I knew what would happen to you."**_ Luciana reasoned gently and Reinhardt kept a sob back.

 _ **"This isn't what I wanted, or what I wished for. You must stop this…besides…do you truly believe Pandemonium Overlord, Pandoran, will bring me back?"**_ Luciana questioned and Reinhardt gasped…was he lied to? "What do you mean?" Reinhardt questioned, feeling like he was breaking inside. "He swore he'd bring you back to me, as long as I allowed him to walk Terra." Reinhardt commented and he heard Luciana sigh in sadness. "The dead are meant to rest in peace Reinhardt and even a demon overlord can't resurrect the dead." Maria began, catching his attention.

"The Cube can…but when corrupted as you had made it, it will only be for a limited time and they come back as skeletons." Maria explained and Reinhardt looked at the ground in horror…what had he done? _**"NO!"**_ Luciana suddenly screamed and the two gasped. "Luciana, what's wrong?!" Maria shouted before Reinhardt could, her gold eyes wide in fear. _**"Pandoran has figured me out! He's currently trying to open the portal to release himself unto Terra…I can't hold him back much longer. I don't know what I can do!"**_ Luciana shouted and they could only image her face filled with horror.

"I know what I can do!" Maria suddenly said, glowing blue as she connected herself to the Cube. "I can send my consciousness into the Cube and fight Pandoran there. It'd stop him long enough to seal him in Pandemonium; he'd never be able to touch Terra again!" Maria shouted and she heard Luciana begin stuttering. _**"B-but you might die! I don't think I can allow you to do that Maria!"**_ Luciana stated and Reinhardt stood. "I shall accompany her…I plan to atone for everything I've done." Reinhardt said, before looking at Maria as his face became set in determination.

"Maria, let me fight alongside you." Reinhardt said and Maria nodded. "Maria, be careful!" Astraea shouted to her daughter, who nodded. "I will." Maria said as she turned to her mother, before spinning to Reinhardt and walked toward him, holding her hands out. "Reinhardt, let's begin!" Maria stated and he nodded. They held hands and closed their eyes, their auras lifting them into the air and then mixing together, a purple aura around them and they floated before the Cube. It seemed as though they sat, their hands still connected as their consciousness went into the Cube.

 **Other's:** Akane paced back and forth worriedly; she, Maria's group and the army had defeated the demon's that had tried to escape. They all heard the Eidolon's fighting against the demon's and had seen lights of the aura's clashing. But Akane was worried…what if something terrible happened? Everything had gone silent and the Cube of Gaia still glowed red and blue. "I hope everything is okay." Akane said, biting her lower lip and Abaddon gave a soft smile. "Everything will be okay, Maria's strong and so are the Eidolon's. Everything will be alright." Abaddon stated as him and Hiyami fixed their scythes.

Akane fidgeted where she was, she knew Maria was strong and had all the currently known Eidolon's by her side. "I know…but still-!" The ground shook as an explosion sounded. "AH!" Akane gave a startled shout from the sound. "What the-?!" They all looked toward where Maria and Reinhardt were and saw a pulse of red and blue come from the area. "Maria!" Akane shouted and everyone ran to possibly help Maria, even if she did have an Eidolon army with her. As they got closer, they saw the pulses again more frequent and it seemed to happen only at certain times, which told them it was their blades clashing.

Suddenly another pulse happened that shook the temple but this time the pulse was purple. "What the hell?!" Darius shouted and as they reached the scene, they gasped at what they saw. Reinhardt and Maria were encased in a transparent purple circle, floating before the Cube of Gaia that was red and blue; the two seemed to hold the other's hand, as if they had connected their minds and spirits. "What in Terra's name is going on?" Andre questioned, worry in his eyes. Suddenly Reinhardt's armor began to change and shift, even as his Eidolon, Aschensturm changed as well.

Reinhardt's armor suddenly turned white and god, transforming into the armor of when he was the Templar Commander and they gasped as the red cape formed as well. Suddenly a bright light happened to their left and they saw Aschensturm had changed as well. He was a white steed, with blue markings that matched Alessa, his eyes were blue and his hooves were gold as was his armor. His blue mane and tail had slashes of gold in it as well, similar to Alessa's mane and tail. Looking around, they realized the Eidolon's had formed a circle around the Cube and two Envoys but left the stairs open. "Alessa, what's happening?" Akane asked her Eidolon, who gulped in fear.

"Both Maria and Reinhardt had been told by Luciana that Pandoran, Overlord of Pandemonium, was forcing his way unto Terra." Alessa explained, having known what had happened despite not having helped in the battle...all Eidolon's knew. "He was trying to force the portal open through the Cube of Gaia but Maria offered to send her consciousness to the Cube to try and stop Pandoran, to seal him in Pandemonium for eternity so he could never come to Terra again. Luciana stated that Maria might die, when Reinhardt offered to help her; turning back to his old self." Alessa explained and everyone waited to see what would happen; hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.

 **Maria has finally become the Princess of Aura Kingdom, she has finally awoken to her calling as the True Envoy of Gaia, The Princess and Heir to the throne. She has brought Reinhardt back to his sense's with the help of Luciana but not all is as it seems. Reinhardt has been fooled by Pandoran, the Current Overlord of Pandemonium and now must atone for his sin's...but it seems the enemy has found out. Luciana is doing all she can to keep Pandoran back but she cannot do it forever. Maria offers to go into the Cube of Gaia's space to fight Pandoran and Reinhardt wishes to accompany her.**

 **With his change of heart is a change of appearance and powers as an Envoy. Though everyone now worries about what may happen...Pandoran is not to be taken lightly.**

 **Will Maria and Reinhardt win against the new threat? Can they overcome the challenges laid before them? And if so...can Reinhardt atone for everything he has done?**

 **Find out in the next chapter of Envoy.**


	24. Reinhardt's Return, Pandoran's Demise

Maria and Reinhardt opened their eyes, finding themselves in a blood red room and looking up they saw the Cube of Gaia, in its current state of red and blue. Looking down, they only saw their shadows on what seemed to be just and endless area of blood red. "What's going on?" Maria questioned a small echo to her voice in the area. "I don't know but I believe we're about to find out." Reinhardt said gently and looking toward him, Maria noticed his different armor. "Reinhardt, your armor!" Maria said in excitement and he looked at himself.

He noticed he wielded a sword like that of a Crusader and wore his Templar armor, though there was slashing's of blue in it similar to Maria's armor. "I'm wearing my Templar armor and my old sword." Reinhardt stated, looking over his sword yet it looked brand new. "I'm disappointed Reinhardt." A voice spoke lowly, in a soft scolding way. "Show yourself!" Maria and Reinhardt shouted, glares on their faces into the never ending area. "Oh I will, don't fear young Princess of Aura Kingdom, the True Envoy." The voice stated with an ominous chuckle and a portal appeared before them.

Stepping out of the portal looked to be a giant, ogre-like demon that had spikes coming from his shoulders and wrists, wielding a sword similar to a Crusader. His red and black eyes focused on Maria and Reinhardt and he grinned; showing his sharp teeth as he laughed. He wore black armor, the spikes cutting through the leather on his shoulders and cutting through the leather at his wrists. Her wore heavy armor over the leather and the armor was black with red slashing's in it; it shimmered in the light like Maria's did but the shimmer was red.

"Oh it has been so long since I've meet one of your lineage Maria." The demon said with a dark grin, making her glare at him. "So many centuries have passed since I last battled." The demon stated and Maria growled. "You're Pandoran, aren't you?!" Reinhardt shouted, shocking Maria; he never actually met Pandoran? Pandoran gave a short chuckle, looking at them with his cruel red and black eyes. "Yes, that would be me." Pandoran stated, before he stuck his sword in the ground and leaned toward them.

"Maria, you certainly have grown since the first war. Only three years passed after the war when you accidentally destroyed Gaia and then seventeen years went by until we finally meet again." Pandoran stated, yet Maria merely scoffed at him as she brought her swords out. "Pandoran, for the sake of my family, my friends…for the sake of Terra and Gaia, I shall kill you!" Maria shouted as she charged, Reinhardt following her actions. They both jumped at Pandoran, who swung at them with his sword and they both landed on it, before striking.

Reinhardt swung for his head but the spikes blocked the blows as they seemed to spread out like feathers. Maria swung for his head as well but her swords cut through the spikes, cutting his cheek and she growled; those spikes were going to be a pain to deal with. Landing on the ground she ran around, striking at him, hoping to damage his armor so she could actually hurt him. "Damn it, this guy is going to be harder to kill!" Reinhardt shouted as he landed on the ground and dodged the sword slamming into the ground. Reinhardt and Maria jumped at Pandoran again, one from behind and one from the front.

Reinhardt swung right as Maria did and in his confusion, Pandora was unable to protect in time as their swords connected. Reinhardt left a deep gash in Pandoran's chest and Maria left two deep gashes on the back, before hitting the ground and rolling to lessen the pain. "Damn you!" Pandoran shouted and swung at Maria. Reinhardt ran toward Maria and blocked with his sword as she began standing; knowing she wouldn't protect herself in time. Maria smiled at Reinhardt, before jumping over him and cutting Pandoran's hand off. Pandoran roared in pain, allowing Maria and Reinhardt a breather; this was going to be a tough battle.

They didn't have long though as Pandoran grabbed his sword with his other arm and they dodged, jumping to the sides to avoid damage. Maria began her circling again, even as Reinhardt charged forward and swung, hoping to break armor and get the skin. They did this for as long as possible, hoping Pandoran wouldn't be able to predict their pattern but he did eventually and they had to switch. Maria started jumping constantly, landing wherever she could and then sinking her swords into his skin and jerking back. She focused on the Cube, allowing an aura to appear around her swords and create jagged spikes on the bottom of her swords.

The jagged spikes caught the skin and ripped further, causing Pandoran to throw her off his arm. "AH!" Maria screamed as her back made contact with a bone pillar that rose. "Maria!" Reinhardt shouted and ran toward her, and helped her sit up. He noticed a gash across her shoulder and looked at Pandora, seeing a bit of blood on the spikes at Pandoran's wrist and growled. They must've caught her as Pandora threw her off…which meant they were more deadly than he thought.

"Are you going to be okay?" Reinhardt asked and she nodded. "Yeah," She stated before she spat blood out, groaning at the taste of iron in her mouth. "just let me catch my breath and I should be good to go." Maria said and Reinhardt nodded, before he charged Pandora again; intent on keeping his attention away from Maria.

 **Outside the Cube:** Everyone watched the Cube anxiously, hoping everything would be okay. Occasionally a demon would appear but would quickly be killed by an Eidolon or soldier; they couldn't let anything get past them. Suddenly they saw Maria cringe in pain and a scar appeared on her shoulder even as the leather tore and the shoulder guard dented. "What the hell?" Maki questioned with horror, eyes wide. "It's like they appeared on their own." She finished, shaking...though knew she'd be unable to heal Maria.

The power wouldn't get through the barrier around them. "Pandoran must've made that scar." Saari began to explain, casting her eyes down so none would see her concerned gaze. "Even though they aren't fighting him physically before us, they are fighting him within the Cube. Any wound he inflicts on them shows up before us in real life." She stated, folding her arms. This worried everyone. "Wait, what happens if Pandoran 'kills' her within the cube?" Satako asked, fearing the worst. "...Then Maria would die in real life…they are still connected to their bodies." Sachi stated, her teal pigtails flowing softly. Everyone watched the cube again, praying to everything above and below that Maria and Reinhardt would return...alive.

 **Inside the Cube** **:** Reinhardt and Maria shouted as their backs made contact with the bone pillar's again, groaning as blood seeped from their mouths and the multiple scars on their bodies. Pandoran was putting up a stronger fight than they fought considering the 'centuries' he says he hasn't fought. "Hahaha! You two are putting up a stronger fight than I thought; for once I have worthy opponents." Pandoran laughed out, making Maria wince in pain. "What in Gaia's name is that supposed to mean?" Reinhardt groaned out as he used his sword to help him stand.

"What do you mean? Did you think I fought because I have to?" Pandoran questioned and seeing their looks he laughed. "You're all so stupid! I don't fight because I HAVE to, I fight because I WANT to!" Pandora shouted as he swung at Maria. Maria growled and closed her eyes focusing and a barrier appeared around her stopping Pandoran. "What the-?!" Pandoran was cut short as Reinhardt created another gash across his abdomen and he growled, clutching his gut. "Curse you…you wretched swine's." He growled out, seeing the blood seep through his fingers.

"You're not the only one who can control the cube." Reinhardt stated as the blue glow faded from his sword. "We can also use the Cube of Gaia!" Maria stated, her swords glowing blue again as she swung downwards, two arcs heading toward Pandoran. Pandoran growled as they both headed for him and took the attack, before he felt Maria use **Whirling Dance** , followed by **Snowflower** and then she used **Deadly Wink**. As Pandoran fell backward, Reinhardt glowed blue as he jumped forward and thrusted his sword forward, ripping through Pandora. Pandora went limp as blood came from the multiple wounds and the hole in his gut.

Reinhardt panted for breath and Maria walked toward him, panting as well. Reinhardt stumbled toward Maria and before her legs buckled, Reinhardt wrapped an arm around her shoulders and steadied her. "We did it." He said with a grin and she giggled. "We sure did…we won." Maria said weakly and they began to walk away…when suddenly something behind them twitched. An arm lashed forward, knocking Reinhardt away as the hand wrapped around Maria, causing her to cry in pain.

"Maria!" Reinhardt shouted as he suddenly noticed it was the dying Pandora. "I won't die…not alone…not here." Pandora said weakly and began glowing red. "Maria, no!" Reinhardt stated and Maria grimaced. "Leave Reinhardt, it's no use!" Maria shouted but he shook his head. "No! I refuse to leave you behind!" Reinhardt shouted and pulled his great sword out. "GO!" Maria shouted as the area began to crack and chunk's fell, sounding like glass as they hit the ground. "NO!" He shouted…when suddenly everything went black.

 **Outside the Cube:** Everyone looked on in worry as cracks appeared around the purple orb, even as blood came from their wounds. Suddenly the orb shattered at what seemed to be an explosion, causing everyone to shout in surprise, even as they heard Maria and Reinhardt scream. As the dust subsided, they saw Maria and Reinhardt on the ground, Maria motionless as Reinhardt suddenly stirring. "Maria?" Luther questioned when suddenly Reinhardt looked up. "Maria?!" They heard Reinhardt scream and run toward Maria, and the others did too.

Reinhardt lifted Maria up a little and tapped her cheek, but she didn't respond. Darius and the others crowded around her with the soldiers and then the Eidolon crowded around them, looking on in worry. "Come on Maria, wake up!" Akane shouted, tears in her eyes…why wasn't Maria waking up? "No…no, you stupid girl!" Reinhardt shouted as he punched the ground and growled. Akane looked at him worried...before she urge to call him as he was came to her. "…Dad, what happened?" Akane asked warily, looking at Reinhardt. "I told her it was stupid, that I would take her place." He responded, before looking to them others.

"She sacrificed herself, allowing Pandoran to explode even as he held Maria, preventing her escape." Reinhardt explained and told them what happened inside the cube. He explained how they fought against Pandoran, explained that Pandoran was the one who tried to take Gaia over in the beginning. He also explained that, after they believed they had won, Pandoran hadn't actually been killed and lashed toward them, knocking him aside as he grabbed Maria, killing her as he killed himself.

When he finished, Sachi started crying out and Darius held back his sobs as Akane hugged Alessa, crying. Lilliana began crying as well, Akina hugging her trying to calm her down but no one else was better off. Many lowered their heads in sadness and Anya screamed in agony; crying that her 'little sister' was gone. Astraea looked away in sadness, her bangs covering her eyes as she tried to keep a stoic expression…but they still saw tears run down her face. "Don't go crying just yet." Reinhardt said and they saw a spark in his eyes.

"There's a way to bring her back…and I believe it's time I do something good for once." Reinhardt said as he looked at the Cube, eyes set in determination. "What do you mean?" Alex asked as he knelt beside Reinhardt, looking at Maria. Reinhardt looked at him, before turning his gaze to the lifeless Maria. "It is possible to bring someone back completely but it requires one's life in return. The Cube can bring back the dead but to bring them back as they once were, it would require someone to sacrifice them self in return." Reinhardt said and looked at Akane.

"I'm sorry…but I can't stay." Reinhardt said as he stroke Akane's cheek and she nodded as tears ran down her face. She hugged her father as he wrapped one arm around her, both happy to finally have patched things up. "I forgive you, and thank you." Akane said and he nodded as he stood with Maria. He walked under the Cube and laid Maria down, the young girl's wounds healing as the Cube restored her body to a healed state. Reinhardt lowered the Cube to touch Maria's forehead, before he leaned his head against it. "Luciana, I'll be meeting you soon." Were the last words Reinhardt said before everything was covered in a blue light.

 **Pandoran has been defeated, Reinhardt restored...yet Maria has sacrificed herself so that Reinhardt could live and make amends...but he has a different idea. Outside the Cube, with everyone else who grieve's over her death, Reinhardt knows he finally has a chance to make amends and atone for what he has done...but he must die in return.**

 **Offering himself to bring Maria back, everyone has forgiven him and Maria has come back...but what will happen after her return?**

 **Stay tuned for the last chapter of Envoy. Enjoy! ^^**


	25. A New World-Aura Kingdom (Finale)

Six months had passed since the battle against the Shadow Knight, since Reinhardt turned good and helped Maria defeat Pandoran. Six months since Reinhardt sacrificed himself to save Maria…and six months…since Maria disappeared with the Eidolon's.

 _ **-Flashback- Maria groaned as she sat up and looked around, before she saw everyone. They all smiled and cheered, even Akane as she ran toward her and hugged her with Sachi, Darius and Lilliana. Maria smiled back and hugged them best she could but Darius kissed her, making her blush. Astraea smiled as everyone separated, before her smiled faded from her face. "Maria." Astraea said, catching the girl's attention. "Yes mother?" Maria asked, looking at Astraea as she stood. "You know what we must do…don't you?" Astraea questioned and Maria sighed, nodding her head.**_

 _ **"The inevitable." Maria said sadly, standing yet her words worried the others. Everyone stood back, letting her have room to stand, before Darius took a few steps forward. "Maria?" Darius asked and Maria sighed sadly at him. "I'm sorry…but I can't stay." Maria said as the Eidolon's gathered behind her. "What do you mean you can't stay?" Akane asked sadly, even as Alessa walked to be beside Maria, looking at Akane in sadness. Maria noticed Alessa's sadness and smiled softly at the young Eidolon, the only one who still had an Envoy.**_

 _ **"Alessa, you don't have to come in you don't want to." Maria said and Alessa looked at her in shock. "You mean it Queen Maria?" Alessa said, shocking everyone. "Queen?" A few questioned…it could only mean one thing. Alessa ran back toward Akane and smiled at her, before smiling sadly at Maria. "Thank you, your Highness." Alessa said with a bow, and Maria smiled back. Everyone whispered amongst themselves, having an idea as to what was going on. "Maria, what's going on?" Darius asked, sorrow in his eyes.**_

 _ **Maria lowered her head in sadness, bangs covering her eyes. "I cannot stay here on Terra, there is much that needs to be done. As I am now Queen of Aura Kingdom and the True Envoy chosen by the Cube of Gaia…I am to leave and remake Gaia, so Aura Kingdom can be recreated." Maria stated but Darius clutched her shoulders. "No, you can't leave. I…I love you!" Darius said blushing and Maria blushed as well but sighed and removed his hands. Yet she kept her gaze steady with him, her eyes swimming with tears that, as a Queen, she refused to spill.**_

 _ **"I love you too Darius…but I can't stay here on Terra." She explained and he felt his heart shatter. "I have to fulfill my duty as the True Envoy and that means Aura Kingdom must be remade." Maria said and her, with the Eidolon's, all started glowing as the Cube, now completely blue again, floated above them glowing as well.**_

 _ **"But who knows…one day I might see you all again." Maria said and smiled as the Eidolon's disappeared one by one. "Everyone, I will dearly miss you." Maria said, before connecting her eyes with Darius, the tears now flowing freely down her face. "And Darius…I love you." Maria said before she disappeared as well, leaving them all. They had to stay...and she had to leave. -Flashback End-**_

Darius sighed as he wandered around Navea, filled with sadness; even though he tried to be happy. Him and the others still stayed in touch and traveled together, it kept Maria alive within them, even Abaddon and Hiyami traveled with them every now and then. Akane had become like an older sister to Lilliana, having reminded Lilliana of Maria. Darius couldn't believe that they were all still together through these past few months. Luther, Sandra, Kavar, Maki, Toraka, Sataka, Satako, Lilliana, Akane, Alessa, himself, Hiyami and Abaddon; they all stayed in contact and stuck together. 

Andre and Anya also seemed highly affected by Maria's absence but it was understandable. Maria had helped shape Andre's view on Envoy's; showing them that they all weren't the same. For Anya, she had lost her 'little sister', so to speak as the two had grown close and now Maria was in a different world…literally! Darius was only broken out of his thoughts when he heard Luther shout for him. "Darius, you might want to see this!" He called out as he spotted him, making the Grenadier nodded as they ran toward the Church, where everyone was gathered. "What's going on?" Darius asked Belenus as he smiled at them, holding a letter. "I believe we have someone we need to visit." Belenus said and Darius's eyes widened as he recognized the symbol…could it be true?

 **Elsewhere:** A girl paced back and forth in a building city, looking at the papers in her hands as she flipped through them; a pig-tailed teal haired girl floated beside her, smiling. "Well, it seems production is coming along a lot faster than I thought." The woman stated as she looked at the teal-haired girl. "I agree very much Queen Maria, things are coming along a lot better than we originally thought. It all thanks due to everyone's combined efforts." The girl stated, smiling at the Queen, who was in fact Maria. Maria giggled at her Eidolon's happiness, agreeing with her.

"That's true Sachi, things are coming along nicely. It won't be long until the city is finished, then we can work on the castle." She said as she closed the folder she held. Suddenly Uzuriel, the Heavenly Defender floated over, smiling at her Queen in which Maria smiled back in return. "Have the younger ones behaved Uzuriel?" Maria asked the Heavenly Defender, who nodded with a smile. "Yes, Cesela has been helping me look at Endora, Serena, Serif, Grimm, Hansel and Gretel." The recently evolved Uzuriel stated, and Maria sighed in relief.

"Good, if they were misbehaving I'd have to teach them to behave." Maria said and looked around. Many of the Eidolon's have recently evolved in the past six months she hadn't seen her friends. Grimm, Serif, Uzuriel, Eligos, Gigas, Aelius, Tsubaki, Zaahir, Yarnaros, Kotonoha, and Bel-Chandra had all evolved and Maria was sure the rest could; but had yet to evolve. Sighing, Maria turned around and began working on fixing the gardens up, when suddenly someone slammed into her.

"GAH!" She shouted in surprise, before standing and turning to glare at the one who slammed into her. "Serif, you gotta calm down." Maria scolded gently, glare turning soft as the once blonde haired boy smiled at her. Serif's looks had changed when he evolved as well but it didn't surprise Maria. His blonde hair was now white and his blue eyes had turned teal, as did his once blue head piece. The wings on his outfit grew a bit longer and a small second pair appeared under the first. His blue pants turned black and he had teal trimming on his white shirt.

He pointed toward Tsubaki who ran along the walls of the city, before she jumped down and made her way toward them. "Ah, so that's what you want to say?" Maria asked Serif and he blushed looking at Sachi. "Can…can I play with Sachi?" He asked nervously and Maria giggled; he was cute when he was bashful. "Of course you can but it's up to her." She said before she smirked mischievously at the young Eidolon. "Don't have 'too much fun' though." Maria said with a wink and his face went so red in was probably unhealthy. As him and Sachi floated off, Maria smiled at Tsubaki as she handed Maria the letter.

"I see Belenus quickly sent a reply as fast as he could." She observed, opening it before she looked at Tsubaki. "How did he react when he saw you?" Maria asked Tsubaki, the pink haired girl smiled. "He about fainted, thought I was a ghost. Andre was about to attack me but when he realized who it was stopped his attack. He seemed surprise to see me, but happy at the same time." Tsubaki said as Maria smiled, turning her gaze back to the letter. As her eyes scanned the letter, her smile slowly turned to a small frown...before her eyes widened and her mouth dropped.

"We have a lot of work to finish. They plan to be here in a week and we're not even halfway done!" Maria stated in a panic and began looking through her papers. "Oh no, we still have half the stalls to finish, the planting and gardening, the castle, a church of our own, the armory, the army quarter's. GAH!" Maria shouted and Tsubaki sighed. "Work double time and use more of the Cube?" Tsubaki questioned, and Maria nodded. "Yeah. We'll also have to ask Tigerius to increase the size of the patrol along with Bahadur; then make sure that Aelius and Uzuriel can get the kitchen working and create a meal." She said, before turning around.

"Then I'll have Bealdor and Faust stationed at the gates to protect it from intruders." Maria said and walked off, mumbling to herself. Tsubaki chuckled at Maria's ramblings, before looking over at Astraea as she came over, Uzuriel was beside Tsubaki, chuckling to herself as well. "Yep, she defiantly takes after you Astraea." Tsubaki said as she smiled at the Guardian Goddess, the blonde Eidolon nodding.

 **Two Weeks Later:** The escort to the new Aura Kingdom took longer than expected much to Maria's relief; she was panicked about their sudden notice. She had sent a letter saying that the lights that hit on the far side of Terra was actually the Cube transporting them all to Terra since it was too long for Gaia to rebuild and it wasn't something she was comfy with. The past four months Maria had been rebuilding Aura Kingdom on Terra and had organized area's for the Eidolons to be at; as well as give them position's they'd excel at. The escort to Aura Kingdom consisted of Darius, Lilliana, Luther, Sandra, Akina, Kavar, Maki, Sataka, Satako, Toraka, Anya, Andre, Akane, Alessa, Hiyami, Alex, Victoria, Gus, Belenus and everyone from Port Skandia as they had wished to see Maria again.

Maria smiled as she entered the throne room, heading toward the chair there. "Alright, the castle is finished and the Cube is above me. I'm so glad we finished in time." Maria said as she slumped against her chair, smiling at a small platform in the center. In the center of the throne room stood a platform with a glowing flower pattern, it was something Maria came up with. The moment the power of Gaia appeared in someone, they were to be brought to Aura Kingdom and depending on the purity within them they would obtain an Eidolon. If the two took an interest in one another, they would become partners and every two months they were to come to Aura Kingdom to see if they were still on the right path.

Suddenly Tsubaki appeared and bowed before Maria, awaiting permission to speak. "Yes Tsubaki?" Maria questioned, raising a brow in confusion. "Maria, we have received word from the patrol that a large group is headed this way." Tsubaki said, before looking up with a smile. "Word is that our Highness's beloved has been spotted within the group, as well as Envoy Akane and Eidolon Alessa. We believe it is the escort we were told about within the letter." She explained and Maria smiled.

"Once they arrive at the gates, give them permission to enter and tell them I shall meet them at the Castle." Maria said and Tsubaki nodded as she disappeared; Maria sighed in bliss. "Happy to see old friends?" Astraea asked coming beside Maria and Sachi appeared with Saari and Quelkulan. "Yes, I am. It'd be good to see everyone again after so much time had passed." Maria said and waited for their arrival.

 **Next Day:** The escort arrived early morning and was surprised to see Bealdor and Faust there but the two Eidolon's smiled upon seeing them...at least...they think Faust might have as well. "We've been expecting you." Bealdor said and opened the gate, allowing them to walk in.

Everyone looked around in amazement at the beauty to the place and smiled as they saw Eidolon's, each returning the smile. As they drew closer, they got bombarded by Eidolon's and Serif seemed to show a special interest in Darius as he hugged the boy around the neck. Akina realized that Gigas seemed to understand her pursue to strength as some of the other Eidolon's showed an interest in the other member's of the group. Soon the doors opened as they neared the throne room in the Castle and they noticed it was Uzuriel and Saari who opened and they bowed upon seeing them.

At the other ended, behind the glowing platform in the room…was Maria. She sat in a chair with two others besides her and smiled at them, wearing a long dark blue dress with light blue accents that were the same color as the Cube and shimmered like her armor did. She stood and bowed even as Darius took a few steps forward. "Maria?" He asked and Maria nodded. "It's so good to see you all again, I take it you got here safely?" Maria questioned with a familiar and Darius smiled and ran toward her. "Maria!" Darius shouted in joy and Maria trotted down the few steps that went to the chairs. 

They meet on the platform and hugged, glad to be reunited; even as Serif and Sachi floating around them, grinning at each other. "I've missed you so much." Darius said, hugging her as tears went down his face. "And I missed you as well." Maria said before she kissed him and he returned the kiss. Maria explained how it was taking too long to rebuild Gaia and that they all decided it'd be best to rebuild Aura Kingdom on Terra. She explained that in the past four months they had rebuilt most of the city and had just finished the castle yesterday for their arrival. Afterwards they ate and got reacquainted with each other and as they finished, they started small chatter as Maria stood.

"So, I have something to ask the people of Port Skandia." Maria said, gaining everyone's attention; especially the survivor's of Port Skandia. "Would you all like to live here?" She asked, shocking them. "Live here? As in live in Aura Kingdom?" Sheila asked and Maria nodded. "Yes, live here." Maria repeated, smiling soft and gentle. "The houses will be free of charge and you all can open stalls and begin selling things again." She explained; Sheila and York looked at one another, before nodding as did their kids. Other survivor's of Port Skandia nodded as well as others spoke about how they would beginning reopening their shops.

Maria smiled, before continuing. "I plan to have Aura Kingdom be a place people can come to, kind of like a second Navea…but not exactly. This place will be where Eidolon's and Envoys can live as well. In fact, due to how you all helped me defeat Reinhardt, the Eidolon's took an interest in those who helped. Even as you stand upon the platform, it's already seeing if your soul is pure and it is for many of you." Maria said and everyone cheered and smiled, Maria's group agreeing to be Envoy's.

Maria turned her attention to Belenus, feeling somewhat nervous at what she would say next. "Also…Belenus, this is a personal request." Maria said biting her lip and he looked at her kindly. "You can ask child, don't fret." He said…he knew what she was going to ask. "I was wondering…if maybe Andre and Anya could stay here?" Maria asked, shocking the two. "Us, why?" Andre questioned and Maria smiled as she pointed to Aelius and Kusanagi. "Those two have taken an interest in you and I plan on having Envoy's guarding my city. Since I've known you two the longest and best within Navea, I was wondering if it was okay for you two to stay here." Maria said and saw Belenus smile.

"Child, I had a feeling that would be what you would ask. I haven't a problem with it but it is ultimately up to them." Belenus said and the two thought, before looking at the other. It was true, they were the closest to Maria from Navea aside from Belenus and Gus...but they couldn't abandon the Church. They spoke with Alex and Victoria for a little bit, the two stating they could protect Navea and they felt themselves relax at hearing those words. Looking at Maria, they nodded and she smiled. After a while, the tables and chairs were removed and Maria sat in her chair, Sachi and Astraea coming up to her sides.

"There are a few things I would like to clarify about making a bond with an Eidolon." Maria began as a staff formed in her hand, the white steel landing gently in her hand. "You will only have one Eidolon, as I have come to notice no one can handle more than one. Also, every other month you are to be 'scanned' in a sense to see if you are still on the right path." Maria said as she folded her hands and leaned her head against them. "The bond is permanent and can only be made if the two have an interest with each other. All Envoy's will have a connection to me through the Cube of Gaia." Maria stated and Andre with Anya nodded.

Kusanagi went first, floating toward Anya and smiling at her, before she held her hands out toward Anya. Anya lifted her hands together and Kusanagi placed her hands over Anya when suddenly a key appeared in Anya's hands. Anya lifted the key to her chest and it disappeared into multi-colored particles that went into her and she glowed. Suddenly they flashed for a brief second and it faded as Anya stood there with a smile and then Kusanagi reappeared; smiling brightly at Anya.

The process was repeated with Andre and Aelius, in which he was then appointed Commander of the army Maria was planning to build to help keep the peace. "I understand, it would be an honor." Andre said with a bow and Maria smiled. "Then I thank you for your service." Maria said before standing, smiling at everyone. "Once again…" Maria swung her arms out to the side and the cubes upon the pillars in the castle brightened and the Cube above her glowed. "Welcome to Aura Kingdom, home of Envoy's and Eidolon's!" She exclaimed and everyone cheered.

Days passed in Aura Kingdom as the villagers of Port Skandia made Aura Kingdom their new home, Maria made sure they had all the necessities of their old home; even as those from Maria's group had obtained Eidolon's. Akina had gotten Gigas as her Eidolon, both having very similar interests but that was no surprise, they both pursued strength. Sataka and Toraka also got Eidolons, the two having gotten together not too long ago; their Eidolon's were Bahadur for Toraka and Bel-Chandra for Sataka. Sandra and Luther also got Eidolons after they hooked up, Nalani for Sandra and Higa for Luther. 

Lilliana eventually obtained an Eidolon as well and it was Serena; it made Maria happy to see the two got along on a great level but their antics were funny. It also turned out that Maki had an Eidolon as well and her Eidolon was Kotonoha. Kavar ended up obtaining an Eidolon as well and it was one of the newer Eidolon's who had appeared when Maria was recreating Gaia; Yumikaze. Satako ended up with an Eidolon soon after the celebration of Aura Kingdom ended and he was with Uriel, a new Eidolon who showed up after Maria moved Aura Kingdom to Terra. Abaddon eventually obtained his own Eidolon as well and it was nice when Abaddon showed interest in Shirayuki…but it was more ways than one that got them to team up. Darius had ended up with Serif as his Eidolon and Sachi with Maria couldn't be happier, it really was a match made perfect.

Currently, Maria was sitting in the chair at the throne room, listening to the presence of someone outside and she made the staff in her hands disappear as the doors opened. "Everything is perfect, it's all going so smoothly." Maria said as Darius walked over and they smiled at one another. "But nothing lasts forever." He said, having heard her comment and she chuckled. "I know," She began, tapping his cheek when he leaned toward her, kissing her. "which is why we must work to preserve and protect everything we have. To teach the younger generation's everything we know." Maria said as she stood from her chair, smiling gently at him.

Maria was happy with how things were currently though, it was perfect. The army had their own sleeping quarters, her friends had room's within the castle; even Akane, Hiyami and Abaddon did. Hiyami hadn't chosen an Eidolon, seeing as she had her demon's. Maria had offered Sheila, York, Theia and Joel a room; they accepted after a lot begging from Akane and even Maria herself. The pair went toward a smaller pair of doors and opened it, giving them a good view of the Kingdom from the throne room. "It's beautiful." Maria said as the sun began setting and Darius smiled at her, he agreed. His smile slowly faded though as thoughts entered his mind and he sighed, seeming to determine something he would do.

"Maria, there's something I've been meaning to ask you." Darius said firmly but Maria noticed the nervousness in his voice. _'What's he so nervous about?'_ Maria thought but smiled at him, turning to face him. "Alright, what is it?" Maria asked and as he turned to her as well, she saw determination in his eyes, mixed with…fear? "These past six months have, well…they've been torture, especially when I thought I've never see you again." He began, looking like he was digging for something in the pack behind him.

"I gave this a lot of thought and I realized I never want to be separated from you like that again, so I ask you this," Darius said as he got on one knee and brought out a small black box, Maria felt her heart beating faster. "will you marry me?" Darius asked as he opened the box and within was a crystal ring. The ring itself was made of crystal-like diamond, with a topaz in the center and two smaller sapphire's beside it. Maria saw an engraving inside the ring that read: _'You are my only Princess, my only light, you are my only love, Maria. ~Darius'_. Maria just about began crying but smiled at Darius as she knelt; hugging him tightly.

"Yes, I will!" Maria said and he smiled in relief as he slipped the ring on and intertwined their fingers. "I will always love you, Maria." Darius said as he kissed Maria, who kissed back. Sachi and Serif looked at one another, before blushing and looking away. Suddenly Sachi grabbed Serif's hand, making him look at her and she smiled nervously at him with pink cheeks. Serif smiled and kissed her, making she blushed harder,but returned the kiss. Astraea watched from the chair, below the Cube and smiled.

"Yes, Aura Kingdom is in for a bright future and a world of peace." Astraea said, before she looked at the cube. "Isn't that right...Gaia?" She questioned and the cube glowed, before Astraea left, giving the couples some peace. Maria had accomplished her goal, turned Reinhardt to justice, defeated Pandoran and figured out who she was. Now she could focus on her life and how to make the world a better place for Envoy's and all races alike. With Darius at her side, they would overcome anything and eventually make their own family as well as encounter new Envoy's and Eidolon's alike. It was the beginning of a new world for everyone.

 **This is the end of Envoy everybody! ^^ I had a lot of fun making this and eventually revamping it I added some things and change others. Originally, Anya had Vermillion but I didn't like that act so I changed it for her to have Kusanagi instead. ^^**

 **Anyways, if you all noticed...I added someone called Gaia? Now who is Gaia you might wander. Well, in a short story I posted, I showed her and she's known as the Mistress of Eidolon's; only on the mobile version of Aura Kingdom though, as I learned from a friend, called taffybratz, that Aeria Games came out with a mobile version of Aura Kingdom. (I still say they took the idea from the original version of this story when I made Maria the Queen of Eidolon's.)**

 **Anyways, Gaia was the True Wielder of the Cube of Gaia before Maria was and Maria has Gaia's blood running through her vein's more than Astraea did, which is why when Maria was born, she was the next chosen. Astraea was not Chosen to be the Wielder like Maria but she could use the Cube, both as a mortal and Eidolon.**

 **I added Gaia because Astraea knows who Gaia is, she knows that originally the Cube just came into existence but created a physical version of itself, hence, Gaia the Mistress of Eidolon's and she was a True Wielder because she was the Cube itself in physical form. (At least that's what I think.)** **I thought it would be cool to incorporate Aeria Game's idea into the story as a short of Shout Out to the makers of the game.**

 **Well, I hope everyone enjoyed the story as much as I did making it. ^^**

 **As you know, Maria, Darius, Lilliana, Sataka, Kavar, Maki, Akina, Luther, Satako and Sandra belong to me.**

 **Akane and Hiyami belong to taffybratz.**

 **Abaddon belongs to Vol T Lachance.**

 **Once again, hope you all enjoyed the story. ^^**


End file.
